


The Fabulous Kill Boys

by BrokenChemicalHeart, SaskiaK



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Dom/sub, F/M, Jealousy, Love, M/M, Murder, Rage, Some average violence, Torture, extreme violence, psychopathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2018-11-03 16:46:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 69,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10971312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenChemicalHeart/pseuds/BrokenChemicalHeart, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaskiaK/pseuds/SaskiaK
Summary: Gerard and Ray are available to hire should you have enough money, oh and happen to need someone tortured or killed. Together with their assistant, the lovely and entirely ruthless, Melanie, they are The Fabulous Kill Boys. But a night out in a club turns everyone's lives upside down when they bump into Gerard's brother Mikey and his friend with benefits, Frank.





	1. Na Na Na

Rubbing his eyes, Mikey, a blonde-haired, hazel eyed, glasses wearing, 5’10” lanky but lithe twenty-four year old, stripped off his clothes dropping them carelessly in a heap on the floor. Tossing his glasses onto the nightstand, not even pausing to see where or if they had landed safely, he face-planted onto his bed and pulled the bunched up covers over his head and closed his eyes. He was looking forward to an evening of very little. In fact, this – sparking out, half in-half out of the bed had already been much too energy consuming for his liking.

It could have been a second later, it could have been a week, he really didn’t know, but an unwelcome sound disturbed his well-earned rest. It was the door slamming downstairs. It was either Frank or a burglar. At this moment in time, he didn’t care as long as neither disturbed him. Only seconds later, he smiled lazily to himself as he felt another wave of blessed sleep wash over him. It wasn’t going to last long; Frank was home and the tiny tornado was already moving through the house on a path to destroy his sleep.

Frank – Mikey’s twenty-six year old, black-haired, brown eyed, tattooed, 5’4”, toned housemate stripped off and stepped into the welcoming warmth and gentle massage of the shower. Standing under the hot water he rolled his shoulders, letting out a deep happy sigh as the combination of steam, heat and the light fingertip sensation of the water on his back began to relieve the day’s tension. Fuck, it really had been a long day. A long week even and he was glad it was over. He loved Fridays. He lived for Fridays and nothing, not even a horrible week at work was going to change that or, for that matter, stop him from enjoying Friday evening. Allowing the water to run over his hair and face, he grinned. He hadn’t heard a peep from his flatmate and he was willing to bet he was asleep. Not for long – tonight, they were going out!

The sound of the shower alone wasn’t enough to disturb Mikey, but Frank’s singing was. It wasn’t that Frank couldn’t sing, it was more what he sang. The hardcore, loud, screaming lyrics were delivered with such passion that they could not be ignored – no matter how he tried. And he tried.  
Sighing, Mikey pushed back what little of the sheet actually covered his modesty and forced himself to get up. It wasn’t an easy thing to do; settling his glasses onto his nose and looking at the clock, he could see he’d been asleep for almost two hours – Frank had been working late again. Mikey groaned, he knew what that meant; Frank would want to blow off steam. Hopefully he’d be able to contain him in some way, but he already knew how unlikely that would be.  
Opening the door to the bathroom, Mikey’s glasses steamed immediately and he let out a small sigh. Every single time!

“Frank!” Mikey complained unable to see. “Why can’t you ever put the extractor fan on?”

Frank opened the shower cubicle a few inches, dripping on the floor as he leaned out, smiling at Mikey’s athletic form standing in the doorway.

“If I did that you’d be able to see me ogling you and I want to spare your blushes, Mikeyway!” Frank laughed. “But you are super cute when you blush, babe,” he giggled retreating into the shower once more as Mikey’s cheeks pinked almost on command.  
“What do you want for dinner?” Mikey pressed. “My treat.”  
“Just coffee for now and get dressed. We’ll talk when I’m done, you’re letting the steam out!”

Mikey laughed and closed the door behind him before heading back to his room. There was just a chance that they might have a relatively quiet night in after all.

Mikey hadn’t worried about walking into the bathroom wearing only his glasses; it wasn’t anything Frank hadn’t seen before, the relationship between the two couldn’t exactly be described as platonic. He was however kicking himself for risking an overly interested response from Frank, but he was relieved that he seemed to have got away with it.

Pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a t shirt, Mikey headed into the kitchen and filled the coffee machine before switching it on. Leaning on the counter, Mikey settled himself into a daydream as he stared at the machine and it’s irregular drip and gurgle.

Mikey didn’t even hear Frank enter the kitchen as he poured the coffee into two mugs.

“Oh Mikey, you definitely know the way to my heart you sweet, sweet human.”

Mikey turned his head lazily and eyed Frank appreciatively. He had dried and dressed smartly, eyeliner applied and his hair roughly dried and only in need of straightening. Frank always dressed well, it was one of his favourite things about him. Frank just seemed to know instinctively what would look good on him and what would fit perfectly.

Kissing him affectionately on the cheek, Frank took the coffee mug and headed into the lounge. As he left the kitchen, Mikey followed admiring that perfect little ass, the fabric of his pants sliding smoothly against him like a gentle hand stroking his cheeks as he walked. Mikey took a deep breath before taking his place next to him on the couch and turning on the TV. He was ready to relax.

“Mikey, babes, you got any preference for where you want to go tonight? Or are you happy for me to choose?”  
“Eugh, Frankie no, I don’t wanna go out tonight! I already took my underwear off. Can’t we just stay in and get wasted?” he almost whined. “I’ll suck you off,” he added in the hope it would be enough to placate him.

Frank leaned in as if to kiss Mikey, but licked his cheek instead.

“Go and shower and put some pants on Mikeyway. We’re going out, it’s been forever.”

Frank ruffled Mikey’s hair and gave the younger man a little shove to encourage him to get up. Hesitating briefly, Mikey gave in to the beaming smile that Frank was aiming at him. That smile simply refused to be ignored.

*

The club was dark and loud and filled with people in varying states and stages of dress, all intent on having a great time. Frank was shouting something to Mikey, but neither of them had adjusted to the volume yet and Mikey’s pained expression coupled with him pointing to his ears and shrugging left Frank no option but to try to use a variation of Iero sign language that nobody could hope to understand. Gesticulating in an overly exaggerated way, Frank waited for confirmation that Mikey had understood. After the briefest of pauses, Mikey merely nodded, completely oblivious to what Frank was suggesting. Regardless of his lack of understanding, Frank seemed satisfied and flashed another smile at him. Mikey was a little unnerved, wondering if he had just agreed to something he wasn’t going to enjoy. As he watched Frank head off to who knows where to do who knows what, Mikey turned to head in the opposite direction toward the bar. If it was something he didn’t want to do, then Frank had to find him first! Having only taken two steps, Mikey pulled up sharply as he collided with a man a few inches shorter than himself.

“Oh I’m so sor……”  
He scowled when he looked at the ‘stranger’.  
“……watch where you’re going, asshole,” he growled.

The ‘stranger’ with the pale, pale skin, hazel eyes, a lopsided smirk and messy black hair rolled his eyes at Mikey and reached up to mess up his hair.

“Aww, come on little brother, you don’t mean that,” his smirk widening at Mikey’s expression and attempt to pull back out of reach.  
“Fuck off, Gerard, what are you doing here? Are you stalking me?”

Mikey gave him a small shove, angry that Gerard had managed to ruffle his carefully arranged floppy quiff. Gerard merely laughed in reply, showing off his perfectly white teeth.

“It’s not all about you, Mikey. I’m here on business, not that that has anything to do with you.”  
“Business? What could you possibly do to have business in here? You can’t dance!”  
“I don’t know karate either, but I can kick your ass!” Gerard snapped in return.  
“Still the same Gerard,” Mikey frowned in distaste; he saw his brother as everything he wasn’t. “Cocky, self-centered, arrogant and rude.”  
“Still the same Mikey,” Gerard mocked. “So far up himself he can see out of his own mouth.” Gerard paused for a few moments waiting for a reply, continuing when none came. “Lighten up, Mikey! It’s been five fucking years and you still can’t even manage a civil word?”  
“Whatever Gerard, just stay the fuck away from me.”

Pushing past his brother in disgust, Mikey let himself be swallowed up by the crowd of sweaty writhing bodies on the dancefloor. The music and energy in the room was already lifting his spirits by the time he reached the bar and it wasn’t long before there was a drink in his hand and a guy pressed up against his back, grinding his hard on against Mikey’s ass. Enjoying the sensation, Mikey was happy not to object, well, not until the guy began kissing and biting his neck and gripping onto his hips just a little bit too tight for comfort.

“Easy tiger, I’m not that kind of girl.”

Mikey said firmly but playfully, trying to wriggle out of the guy’s grip, gasping when he realised that he couldn’t.

“Don’t play with me, sweetheart, no one makes that noise if they don’t like it,” the man laughed unpleasantly.

Mikey looked around for Frank, willing him to come to his rescue and wishing he had just followed him. Frank was nowhere in sight and he cursed under his breath.

“Let me go, please! I don’t…I don’t want this.”  
“Don’t really care what you want right now sweetness, just relax,” the man leaned in, his raspy voice whispering threateningly in Mikey’s ear.

Any protest Mikey had died on his tongue and an involuntary whine slipped past his lips as the man lowered his head and latched on to the sensitive spot just below his ear.

 _Where are you Frank?_ Mikey closed his eyes tightly, sending out urgent and desperate thoughts that were never going to reach his friend.

Across the room, Gerard was sitting at a table with his business partner Ray, a tall, muscular, handsome, brown-eyed, curly-haired gentleman, and smirked as he watched Mikey with the mystery guy. Even from a distance, it was obvious to Gerard from his brother’s body language, that Mikey was uncomfortable and just wanted to get away, but he was quietly enjoying the show.

“You gonna go rescue your blushing damsel in distress of a brother?”  
“No, why should I? Mikey told me to stay away from him, and I’m nothing if not good at doing what I’m told.”  
Ray scoffed and stood up.  
“I think Melanie would disagree with you on that one, Gee.”

He said, before heading in Mikey’s direction, missing the playful smile that flitted across Gerard’s face at the mention of _Her_.

Striding purposefully over to where Mikey was being assaulted, Ray took up a position in front of the pair, noting how much Mikey looked like Gerard, only younger and more innocent.

“Hey there cutie, wanna dance?”

He asked Mikey, softly placing a finger under his chin and tipping his face up.

“Fuck off mate, we’re busy.”

The guy snapped over Mikey’s shoulder, not even giving the boy who was begging with his eyes for help, the chance to speak.

“Look, jerkwad...”

Ray said flatly, prying one of the guy's hands off of Mikey by painfully bending his fingers back until he was forced to let go. Pushing the man backwards a few inches, Ray put his arm around Mikey’s shoulders and pulled the boy into the safety of his embrace.

“…if the look on his face is anything to go by, the pretty boy doesn’t want to be molested by some perv wearing cheap cologne. Now, fuck off.”

The man glared at Ray, sizing him up. There was something. Something about Ray, his size, build or perhaps the look in his eyes. He wasn’t sure but the man took a few steps back before snorting his disapproval.

“Wasn’t worth it anyway,” he began, stepping back a few more paces as Ray narrowed his eyes. “Have his bony ass,” he snapped, already being absorbed by the crowded dancefloor.

With a relieved sigh, Mikey let Ray guide him over to the booth and he slid in. Ray followed, blocking his exit from the booth and momentarily couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for doing that on seeing the look of surprise and nervousness on Mikey’s face. He resolved to make it his business to relax the boy; he’d have him by the end of the night.

“Th…thanks for saving me…I um…” it was obvious from the drinks already set out on the table that this new stranger was not alone. “I can see you’re with someone. I should be getting back to my friend erm? Sorry I didn’t catch your name, I’m Mikey.”  
“Ray, and don’t mention it sweetheart. Just let me buy you a drink? You seem like you need one. And him? No, we’re not together,” he explained adding air-quotes on the last word.  
Ray leaned in and kissed Mikey on the cheek, smiling when he felt his cheeks heat up as he blushed.  
“Oh…Um…sure. Just…just a beer then, please?”  
“Hey Toro, who’s your new… oh, hello again little brother.”

Gerard grinned, feigning surprise at his brother's arrival - he had known exactly where Ray had been heading and the likely outcome. Putting the drinks down on the table, Gerard slid in to the opposite side of the booth leaving Mikey looking at Ray, confused and a little angry.

*

“You know this asshole? I’m outta here!”

At the sight of his brother, Mikey had moved from shy and nervous to forthright and angry in the mere blink of an eye. Moving to stand up, Mikey found himself almost pushed back down as Ray rested a strong hand on his leg. The accompanying smile told him that Ray’s action wasn’t intended to be an aggressive or threatening one – he simply seemed to be unaware of his own strength and, perhaps, his keenness to have Mikey stay. Gerard, silent but maintaining piercing eye contact, shoved a beer in Mikey’s direction and the younger of the brothers eyed it sceptically for a few moments before downing half of it in one go. He didn’t care how it looked – anxious, nervous, an attempt to look casual or just thirsty. He had long since stopped caring what Gerard thought about him or his actions.

As Mikey drank, Ray lifted an eyebrow quizzically, his answer being Gerard rolling his eyes. Ray gave a quick, urgent flick of his eyes toward the bar and back to Gerard followed almost immediately by another angrier looking version; it was enough to make his point. Gerard sighed and headed back to the bar.

“Mikey, I know you and Gee don’t get on, but please stay, for me, baby?”

Ray softly squeezed Mikey’s thigh and offered him another dazzling smile. Mikey would rather have been anywhere than sitting opposite Gerard, but there was something intriguing about Ray that demanded attention – his attention. Also, he hadn't seen a smile since Frank’s that he could figuratively melt into. It was happy, cheeky, kind, sexy and just a hint of dangerous. In short, it was irresistible.

“Fine, but only because you’re fucking cute and you saved my ass,” he smiled in return.  
“That’s not all I want to do to your ass.”

Ray replied quietly. It wasn’t something he had intended to say out loud, but the thought was so strong in his head, it had almost forced its way out of his lips and he breathed a light sigh of relief when he realised that Mikey hadn’t heard him, after all he didn’t want to scare the boy. Ray wasn’t certain if he was on the same page as him just yet and unlike Mikey’s previous admirer, he wasn’t going to force himself on him.  
Mikey was in no rush to get drunk, but the man who had accosted him earlier had rattled him somewhat and, by the time Gerard arrived back with more beer and a tray of shots, some of which smelled suspiciously and tantalisingly of tequila, he had managed to finish his first beer.

“Seem to remember tequila being your favourite drink to get fucked up on, Mikes, right?”  
“Seem to remember you hate tequila, Gee.”  
“I do,” Gerard offered a impish grin. “I got them for you. Peace offering.”  
“It’s going to take more than a few shots of tequila for me to make peace with you!”  
“I thought you’d say that,” Gerard replied, reaching into the inner pocket of his leather jacket and produced an almost full bottle. “I got them to crack a bottle, just for you.”

Mikey took two of the tequila shots from the tray and stared his brother in the face as he drank them both down, not missing the way Ray was smirking at Gerard.

“So, tell me Ray…”

Keeping eye contact with Gerard as his brother merely topped up the two shot glasses before pushing them closer, Mikey grabbed Ray’s tie and pulled the taller man closer to him as he manoeuvred himself onto Ray's lap and kissed him on the left cheek.

“…what’s a nice guy like you…”

He kissed his right cheek.

“…doing hanging out with an asshole like Gerard?”

He breathed the last part over Ray’s lips but held back from kissing him. Ray blushed, surprising even himself, and looked at Gerard over Mikey’s shoulder, asking him with his eyes if he should be honest or not. Gerard shrugged, a mildly amused expression on his face.

"Might as well, he won't believe you anyway," he added.  
“We work together." Ray explained. "We kill people for money.”

Mikey started laughing and downed the third and fourth tequila shots that Gerard had poured for him. Ray rested his hands on Mikey’s hips and unconsciously licked his lips before cupping the back of Mikey’s neck and kissing him softly. Mikey melted into the kiss and ground his hips against Ray’s, feeling how hard the taller man had become and moaning softly at the thought of how good Ray’s cock would feel inside him.

“Ooh,” Mikey giggled as he felt something vibrate in Ray’s pants. “That’s a new one.”

Topping up the shot glasses once more, Gerard watched his brother and Ray for a minute, trying to decide if he wanted to snap a photo of the moment to show Melanie, before he realised his phone was vibrating in his hand.

“I was just thinking about you, what have you got for me?”  
_“If you’re trying to flatter me Baby Gee, it’s not going to work. Why isn’t Ray answering his phone? I have nothing for you, but I have something for him.”_  
“Yeah, well sorry, babe, he’s otherwise engaged at the moment,” Gerard chuckled as he downed a shot of Jack Daniels that he had set aside for himself. “He’s sitting right across from me though. I could send you a photo if you like?”

Not breaking the kiss, Ray’s eyes drifted uncertainly over to look at Gerard.

_“Babe!”_

Ray could hear Melanie’s disgust across the table and almost laughed into Mikey’s mouth.

_“Who the fuck are you calling Babe, Gerard?”_

Stone cold sober in an instant, Gerard sat bolt upright in his seat as he realised his mistake.

“I…I’m sorry, Melanie, I…” he stammered.  
_“Shut up, Gerard!” she snapped irritably. “Unless Ray or I ask you a direct question, I want to hear you’ve remained silent and sitting exactly where you are right now until Ray is ready to leave. Do you understand me?”_  
“But… I…”  
_“Do I need to say this twice, Gerard?”_  
“But I need to…”  
_“I don’t give a damn what you need, Gerard! Since when do I do what you say?”_  
“I’m sorry,” Gerard sagged in the seat, willing away his need to go to the bathroom. “I didn’t mean to argue.”  
_“But you did argue, didn’t you! Do you imagine for a moment that whining about being sorry means I’m not going to punish you when you get back?_  
“But, you’re already…” Gerard bit his lip.  
_“Oh, this is not good enough, Gerard. Not good enough at all. You are going to pay for this when you come home, and afterwards you’re going to get down on your hands and knees and not only are you going to thank me, but you’re going to beg me to do it all over again.”_

Gerard whimpered at the thought of being forced to beg for more punishment. Despite the need to go to the bathroom and the likelihood that he would endure more pain than he could reasonably enjoy, his cock was already hardening.

_“I know you’re getting off on this, Gerard,” she whispered seductively down the line, only making the ache in his pants all the worse, “but tonight, you won’t be screaming in pleasure.”_

Gerard took a deep breath as the words heightened the intensity of his erection further.

_“And if I find you’ve cum without my permission, it is not going to go well for you. Do you understand me?”_

Gerard allowed a pained moan slip through his lips as he tried hard to fight the growing sensations.

 _“Do you understand me?" She repeated harshly._  
“Yes, Melanie, I’m sorry. Really.”  
_“Good, now pass me over to Ray, whatever he’s doing!”_

Passing his phone over to Ray, Gerard lowered his eyes and said nothing.

“I got to take this,” Ray pulled back from Mikey, eliciting a small whine from the younger man’s throat.

Sliding off Ray’s lap back onto the seat, Mikey picked up another of the tequila shots, barely even noticing his brother’s pale and subdued appearance.

“Melanie?” Ray began. “What’s up?”  
_“I’ve got a possible job for you,” she replied. “Client seems pretty keen to proceed.”_  
“Tonight?” Ray queried with surprise.  
_“It’s not that urgent, but I did wonder if you wanted me to wait up for you, but it seems I’ll be up anyway now.”_

Ray flashed a quick grin at Gerard; he was in deep trouble this time.

“Well, I… I’m not sure,” he replied carefully.  
 _“Oh, it’s okay, Ray, Gee’s already mentioned that you’ve got your hands full.”_  
“Is that okay?” he asked with a glance towards Mikey who was helping himself to more tequila and swaying lightly with a lopsided smile and half-closed eyes.  
_“Of course, babes, have fun,” Melanie replied cheerfully into the phone. “Oh, and in case he forgets, Gerard’s not allowed to stand, speak unless you ask him something, go to the bathroom or cum before he gets home.”_  
“Don’t let Gerard move, cum or speak until I’m ready to come home. Is that everything Melanie?”

Ray asked whilst keeping eye contact with Gerard, trying to keep his face neutral.

 _“Yes, that’s right. Have I ever told you how sexy I find it when you pretend to be like him?”_  
Ray laughed. "What would you like me to do?"

Melanie chuckled wickedly; her relationship with Ray over the years, while open, had become loving and surprisingly tender but it was so much easier to control Gerard if he believed that she also dominated Ray. Neither of them wanted the possibility of jealousy rearing its ugly head, so acting the part had become part of their fun.

 _"I want you to keep him drinking," she replied, knowing the effect the additional liquid would have on him._  
“Keep him drinking," Ray looked up at the expression of despair in Gerard's eyes at the words. "We won’t be long.”  
_“Oh, you take all the time you need, honey,” she chuckled, eliciting another laugh from Ray._  
“If all goes well, I’ll be leaving soon anyway,” he answered with an appreciative glance toward Mikey, who was now trying to decide why the shot glass kept moving when he reached for it. "We'll see you later then. Bye!"

Ray pressed the end call button and pretended to sympathise with Gerard as he pushed a beer towards him.  
"Sorry, man. I got my orders too."

“Frankiieeeee!! There you arrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!”

Mikey staggered to his feet with some difficulty and wrapped his arms around Frank’s neck, trying to kiss him sloppily. Pulling back in surprise at his condition, Frank held both of Mikey’s wrists in one hand, his other hand in Mikey’s hair, stopping his head from lolling.

“What the fuck Mikey? I’ve been looking for you for ages.”  
“I’m sorry Frankie, but I was being molested by some asshole on the dancefloor and Rayyyyyyyyyyyyyy,” he flung an arm to indicate Ray, still seated in the booth and looking up with irritation etched clearly into his face. “This is Ray. Frankie, this is Ray. Ray,” he turned his head, “this is Frankie! Well, Ray saved me and brought me back here. Kiss me baby? I’ve missed you.”

Frank sighed; it was hopeless to argue with Mikey in this condition. Mikey was drunk, but with it, he was overly affectionate, happy and adorable. Acquiescing, he allowed Mikey to press his lips drunkenly against his own, sighing into the kiss he let go of Mikey’s wrists so he could pull him closer. Lost in the moment Mikey and Frank were oblivious to the piercing glare they, or more specifically, Mikey, received from Ray.  
Gerard, not allowed to speak anyway, sat well back in the seat, staying well away from Ray; he knew all too well what that look meant.

“Come on Mikeyway, we should get your ass home, you lightweight.”

Standing, his eyes narrowed and staring darkly at Frank, Ray placed a possessive hand on Mikey’s hip and pulled him in close.

“Thought you were coming home with me, Mikey.”

Ray spoke, keeping his voice level and even, so as not to show how angry he was that Mikey was all over Frank.  
Mikey sighed as he turned toward him, swaying a little as the movement made him slightly dizzy, and kissed Ray on the cheek, holding onto his shoulders so he didn’t fall over.

“Thanks for saving me, Ray, and for the drinks, but I can't go home with you. Especially considering the company you keep.”

Mikey slurred, pointing an accusing finger at Gerard, missing the anger that flashed again across Ray’s face.

“Gerard is an asshole, a self-centered, arrogant asshole, no thank you!”

Ray scowled at Mikey, frustrated, humiliated and livid.

Frank’s eyes widened as he saw Ray raise a hand as if about to slap Mikey, and pulled him quickly out of harm’s way. To Frank, the expression of fury on Ray’s face was no different to the look on the many people he’d had to save Mikey from since they met when Mikey was a freshman. Mikey's pretty features combined with a strong jaw line had often attracted unsavoury types who were frequently left frustrated and angry at his innocent refusal of their advances. It wasn't fair that Mikey attracted so much unwelcome attention. Neither was it fair that Frank always had to save them both from a beating. This, he felt, was quickly sliding into one of those occasions. They needed to leave, and quickly.

“Come on Mikey, we’re leaving, need to get you home.”

Frank pushed Mikey away from the booth as Ray took a step forward toward them. Despite the height and build difference, Frank seemed unintimidated by the glare, even returning one of his own – it was, after all, not the first time someone taller and broader had tried to use size to frighten him.

Moving his eyes from Ray to Gerard, the tension fell instantly from his face and his expression softened. There was something about the older Way that caught him off guard, and, unaware, he found his lips twitching up at the corners. He was certainly as pretty as Mikey, but there was something… else. Something that could be a little dangerous.

“You’re Gerard,” the words left his lips in a whisper and he blushed slightly at the realisation that he had spoken them.  
“Come on Frankie, I owe you a blowjob!” Mikey grinned, dropping his chin onto Frank’s shoulder.

Hearing Ray inhale a sharp, deep angry breath, Frank gathered himself, pulling his eyes from Gerard and practically dragging Mikey outside to the taxi rank, holding the drunk and taller boy up until they’re both in the taxi.

The fresh air hitting the younger man seemed to simultaneously wake him and make him even less inhibited. Resting his head on Frank’s shoulder in the cab, Mikey began nuzzling and kissing Frank’s neck and whimpering when Frank took hold of both of his wrists to prevent Mikey from reaching into his pants.

“Always have to save your ass, Mikeyway. I knew I was doomed when you staggered into school that day with your stupid beanie and your glasses hanging off of your face.”  
“You love me Frankiero, don’t even try to deny it. Plus, I like that you save me all the time, and I thank you for it, don’t I?”

Frank couldn’t help but laugh at that; it was true Mikey always thanked him – in a way. Mikey was always a handsy drunk, but he seemed to become much worse after drinking tequila. Frank had seen the bottle on the table in the club and was seriously hoping the bottle hadn’t been full when he started it. He was almost prepared to believe that Gerard, Ray or both had been deliberately trying to get him drunk. As he thought about it, he realised that perhaps Mikey had been lucky that he had found him when he did. Yes, Ray had rescued him from someone else, but was it a case of out of the frying pan into the fire?

Stealing a few kisses from each other on the drive home, Frank could taste the tequila on Mikey’s tongue. It normally took quite a lot to get Mikey drunk, but not with tequila. No, with that he tended to get a little bit messy and it explained why, despite Frank’s best efforts to calm him down, he was trying to dry hump Frank’s leg.

“I swear to God, Mikey, if you don’t fucking sit still I’m going to tie you to the bed when we get home.”  
“Only if you promise to fuck me.”

Mikey replied cheekily and kissed the sweet spot on Frank’s neck that he knew would drive him crazy. Finally conceding that the situation was hopeless, Frank groaned, throwing one arm over his face in embarrassment and groping himself with the other.

*

It was, luckily only a short walk from where the pair had been thrown out of the taxi, and Frank was nodding along to Mikey’s protestations of his undying love all the way home. Finally getting the younger boy through the door, Frank flopped back exhausted.

“Well, we’re home, Frankie,” Mikey advanced on the shorter man, pressing him up against the door. “Well?”  
“I’m getting you about a gallon of water and some coffee!” Frank replied, barely believing that Mikey was still awake.  
“Noooo!” Mikey pouted and shook his head, pulling Frank towards his bedroom.  
“You are in no state to do anything, Mikeyway!”  
“No, but you are!” he grinned. “Come on Frankie, aren’t you going to make good on your promise to tie me to the bed?”  
“That was a threat, not a promise!” Frank couldn’t help but chuckle.  
“Oh, come on, Frankie, you know you want to,” he giggled.  
“Water and coffee,” Frank insisted.  
“Frankie!” Mikey whined playfully. “Tie me up. Tie me up, please!”  
“Mikey!”  
“Tiemeup, tiemeup, tiemeup!” he almost chanted. “And then,” he grinned, “you can do anything you want! Anything, Frankie.”

Taking a deep breath, Frank rolled his eyes.

“Where’s your rope?”  
“Aww! I love you Frankiero!” he beamed as he staggered into the bedroom and rummaged in an ottoman at the foot of the bed. “S’here somewhere.”  
“I’ll find it, you get comfy,” Frank waved him away from the large wooden chest.

Withdrawing lengths of soft cord from a discreet black bag, Frank looked up to find Mikey already stripped and lying face down on the bed.

“How do you want it?” Frank asked, running a hand down Mikey’s spine, smirking at the shiver the action elicited from the younger boy.  
“Pulled quite tight but a little struggle room,” he grinned, “just a little.”  
“You want me to make you feel helpless?”

Mikey took a deep breath at the words, despite the tequila, he was getting the desired reaction.

“Yeah, completely,” he gasped. “So you could do anything to me and there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop you.”  
Frank offered a wicked smile. “Oh, you won’t be going anywhere once I’m finished, don’t you worry.”

Working fast, but carefully, Frank fastened the ropes firmly yet comfortably around Mikey’s wrists and ankles pulling them tight around the struts of the head and base boards. Occasionally taking time out to tease and stroke Mikey’s naked body.

“How’s that feel?” he asked, proud of his work.  
“Oh, Frankie,” Mikey pulled on the ropes finding less than a few centimetres of movement possible, the friction of the sheets against his cock causing him sweet agony. “Please… what are you going to do?”  
“I’m gonna put some coffee on,” he chuckled, slapping Mikey’s buttocks teasingly before leaving the room.  
“Frankie!”


	2. Bulletproof Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray experiences what it's like to want to kill. Thankfully, Gerard is on hand to help him formulate a plan that does not bode well for dear Mikey

Gerard stared at Ray as he slid back into the booth once more, staring down at his hands as he considered the unusual set of emotions and feelings currently running through him. Ray was breathing slowly and deeply with the occasional fluttering sound as his anger bubbled into his throat. It was reasonable to say that Ray didn’t lose his temper often. There was a certain sense of irony in the idea that when Ray was working – torturing their victims – he was always most comfortable and at his best if he was unstressed and most definitely not angry. It seemed counter-intuitive, but Ray much preferred to work when his mind was relaxed and still so he could fully evaluate the situation and deliver, careful, measured and considered torture.

Right now, Ray looked as though he was ready to kill. Ray rarely killed. He wasn’t squeamish about it, he just had no interest in it. To him, it was the equivalent of washing up after a great meal – the necessary, but boring bit. Gerard, on the other hand, he loved the kill. There was something he loved about it that Ray never understood. Perhaps it was something involving the light and focus going out of the victim’s eyes. But in truth, he didn’t know; he had never even thought to ask. It had never mattered before; they each had their specialities, their areas of interest. They were, in essence, perfectly matched. But now an unexpected and unfamiliar feeling was stirring in him. Ray really wanted to kill.

Looking up from his hands, Ray scowled at Gerard angrily. On receiving no comment, Ray began a verbal assault.

“Well? What?” he snapped. “I know you want to say something! Don’t think I’ve ever seen you with nothing to say! Amusing, was it?”  
“Ray, remember, I’m not allowed to speak unless you ask me something,” Gerard explained almost apologetically. “And, no, it’s not funny at all! I can’t believe he did that.”  
“Oh,” Ray sighed and looked down, experiencing some guilt for snapping at his friend. “Sorry, Gee. I… Gee, I’m… I can’t believe I’m about to say this, I know he’s your brother and all, but I want to kill him! I really do!”  
“Yeah,” Gerard nodded, one corner of his mouth turned up in a wry smile. “He tends to bring that out in people.”  
“No, you don’t understand. I am really serious, Gee! I genuinely want to kill him.”  
“I am too!” Gerard explained. “You want to kill him and I want to make him suffer.”  
“We’ve swapped places,” Ray offered a lazy smile.  
“Wait, do you _really_ want to kill him?” Gerard asked, his head cocked to one side.  
“Don’t worry,” Ray offered a half-hearted smile as he picked up another glass of beer from the tray and placed it in front of Gerard. “I know he’s your brother. I’ll pass on this one. I’m sure I’ll calm down eventually."

Gerard stared at the glass of beer, his already full bladder causing agonising sensations and he couldn’t help but bite his lip. He was just about to break almost all of Melanie’s instructions in one go and all he could hope was that Ray would accept the offer he was just about to make.

“In exchange for speaking without a question, going to the restroom and you not telling Melanie, I’m prepared to help you.”

Ray raised an eyebrow; he could have fun with this – Gerard was pretty desperate.

“Oh, I don’t know, Gee,” he began. “Help me with what? I can’t think of anything I want that much to risk lying to Mel.”

Gerard blanched; had he not meant what he’d just said? It seemed that his punishment would now be quite severe. In fact, it occurred to him that he might as well do all the things he wasn’t supposed to. At least he would be comfortable now.

Ray suppressed a smirk; he had never truly understood the idea of Melanie dominating Gerard so completely but he could see that it was very real. Ray was never averse to saying what he would or would not want – perhaps that’s why his relationship with Mel was so different? They had grown to genuinely care for each other and although there was quite a lot of angry sex, if anyone was subordinate in their relationship, it would have to be Mel, herself. She would frequently appear in Ray’s bedroom clutching some new gadget or restraint that Ray had purchased and offer to be a very willing guinea pig. If the new toy was already installed in Ray’s dungeon, she would entice him to join her down there by talking through some of the things she wanted him to do, knowing that he would be watching the video feed.

She also had a tendency to be a little bratty or maybe that was just his opinion? There was an age gap of seven years between himself and Melanie, and a two-year gap between him and Gerard. Ray himself being the oldest of the three of them at twenty-nine. More often than not the gap didn’t seem important, but occasionally, Mel would show her spoiled and overly-demanding side and it would press all the wrong buttons with him. Sometimes she just made him feel old and sensible and he hated how her sometimes childish behaviour could bring that out in him. But mostly he thought she was amazing.

“What are you offering, Gee?” Curious, Ray finally fixed him with a shrewd enquiring stare.  
“If it’s what you really want, I’ll help you kill Mikey.”

Ray’s expression turned to one of astonishment. The idea had moved quickly and unexpectedly, from an angry, possibly flippant comment to a very serious suggestion. Humiliation did not sit well with Ray. It was bad enough that he was sometimes turned down in favour of the much more obviously pretty Gerard, but to be turned down simply because he knew Gerard was infuriating.

There had been a moment, even Ray had to admit, where he was angry with Gerard more than Mikey. He felt certain that but for him being Mikey’s brother, the pair would be exploring each other’s bodies by now. But, he couldn’t be angry with Gerard. He was his friend, after all. And his business partner. It seemed much easier to simply displace the anger onto Mikey, and the irritating little friend who had interrupted them and dragged him away.

The suggestion was as outlandish as it was delicious but Ray was hooked.

“Go on…” Ray encouraged.  
“Melanie?” Gerard asked quietly.  
“Nothing to worry about Gee, you’ve been a good boy. Now tell me more – I’m intrigued.”  
“I’m going to the bathroom,” he rose to his feet gingerly, not wanting to put too much pressure on his already uncomfortable bladder. “I’ll explain when I get back.”  
“Sure,” Ray smiled, watching him walk away as quickly but as carefully as he dared.

Ray laughed, as he reached for his phone to send a text.

_‘Hey Mel, thought you’d like to know that later on you’ll be forcing me to confess to you that Gee has pretty much blown all of your instructions to do me a favour. The only one he hasn’t done, to the best of my knowledge at least, is he hasn’t cum.’_

_‘Thanks, Babes,’_ came the reply only a couple of minutes later. _‘Well, I think I need to keep it that way. Baby Gee’s about to get the punishment of a lifetime and no release! Oh, and I’m moving Joe from your dungeon to mine. Thought we might make use of yours later ;)’_

Ray chuckled to himself as he read the message before tucking the phone back into his pocket as he saw Gerard returning.

Sliding back into the booth, Gerard looked considerably more relaxed now and pulled another Jack Daniels shot from the tray, downing it gratefully. Looking at Ray, Gerard couldn’t help but draw his lips into a sly smirk. The earlier expression he had aimed at Mikey and his pretty friend had gone, to be replaced by one of eager anticipation that he had seen dozens of times before.

_Wait… Pretty friend?_

Gerard frowned briefly at how that thought had crept in. It had taken him by surprise, coming completely from left field. Letting his mind drift for a moment, he recalled that his own feelings of the moment had been marred with jealous pangs on seeing Mikey cling to the other man. He was very pretty, petite and heavily tattooed with the most beautiful and perfect eyes and ass he’d ever seen. And his smile! Oh, that smile!

“Gerard…” Ray’s voice barely pierced the fog that had drifted comfortably around his mind. “Gerard! For pete’s sake, keep it down! What the fuck are you doing?”

Ray waved a hand in front of his friend’s face.

“Oh, sorry,” Gerard snapped to. “I was just thinking about… uh…” he shuddered as a familiar feeling momentarily overwhelmed him.  
“Not Mikey I hope, judging by the look on your face, the noises you’ve just made and your pants. You can’t hide that from Melanie!”

Gerard glanced down, his eyes widening as he saw the growing sticky, dampness in his jeans. Yes, Frank was perfect, but he’d only thought about the man! The reaction seemed extreme on one hand and yet perfectly understandable on the other.

“Come on, we’re getting out of here,” Ray got to his feet.  
“B-but, I’m…”  
“I know! The whole club knows.”

Ray shook his head – as humiliating experiences went, Ray was at a loss to know whether this one topped the ‘Mikey’ situation or not. All he knew was that dozens of people had watched Gerard re-enact _that_ scene from When Harry Met Sally, but for real, and all he wanted was to be invisible.

“I’m outta here and so are you.”

Gerard sagged; Melanie was going to kill him.

*

Joe had spent several hours earlier in the day in the company of Ray. His slow, methodical methods of torture had worn him down like dripping water on a stone. The pain had been a slow build, a cut here, a bruise there, a broken finger, a crushed toe. They all added up. Perhaps the worst of it was his refusal to explain. Joe had no clue where he was, how he had got there, why he was there or who Ray was. Joe’s agitation over not knowing why had heightened Ray’s pleasure and as a final measure, he had left Joe hanging face down from the ceiling by his wrists and ankles. He hung with his back severely arched and his limbs pulled painfully behind him. Before long, even the slightest movement had become agony. The final words Ray had spoken to him before leaving him alone in the dungeon were:

“Let me tell you what’s going to happen next. Each one of these chains is going to retract into the ceiling one link at a time or sometimes release. Not all together, mind. No, this one,” he pointed to Joe’s left arm, “then maybe that one. All quite random actually. The end result, if you haven’t worked it out yet, is that you’ll never be still long enough to go numb. And I’m going to be gone most of the night.”

Patting his face, Ray smiled with satisfaction as Joe, breathed erratically in short gasps as he tried fruitlessly to grow accustomed to the pain. The irregular jerking motion of each of the chains merely extending and prolonging his intense agony.

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” he finally screamed, but once again, he received no answer.

*  
Joe had long since managed to pass out. How he had with the constant movement of the chains he couldn’t say, but the blessed release from the pain had been welcome. It was only when he began moving again that he was dragged back to consciousness. Lying still, face down on what seemed to be a gurney, weak and in too much pain, he remained unmoving as he felt the shackles removed from his wrists and ankles.

“What do you want?” he croaked.  
“I want to get you out of here,” came the soft sound of a female voice. “Do you think you can walk?”  
“I don’t know,” Joe admitted. “I’ll try. Who are you?”  
“My name’s Melanie.”

Joe turned his head to see a pretty blonde woman, dressed in a frilled baby-pink skirt and close-fitting black chiffon blouse.

“Do you know the curly-haired guy?” Joe asked.  
“Yeah,” Melanie answered. “There’s another guy too, he’s a killer.”  
“A-and the other guy isn’t?” Joe stammered.  
“Oh, no,” Melanie shook her head. “He’ll keep you alive indefinitely.”  
“Please, help me get out of here.”

Joe pushed himself slowly upright. It was clear to both of them that he wouldn’t be able to walk far, but that didn’t trouble Melanie; she really wasn’t intending on going any further than her own dungeon.

Acting as a crutch, Melanie pulled Joe’s aching arm over her shoulder and shuffled the pair of them slowly to the door.

“What if he comes back?” Joe asked, his strength beginning to gather.  
“He won’t, not for some time,” she explained. “He’s gone out for the night.”  
“Won’t anything happen to you when he finds me gone?”  
“Probably,” she smirked, looking down so he couldn’t see her. “In here,” she added as they crossed the divide between dungeons.

Joe frowned as he looked around; the room was similarly equipped to the one they had just left.

“What’s going on?” he asked, confused and starting to grow increasingly nervous.

Melanie ducked from under Joe’s arm and shoved him hard across the room, laughing as he lost his footing and sprawled to the floor.

“I mean, really, did you honestly think I was letting you go?”

Joe turned over, pushing himself up, at first to a sitting position before struggling to his feet. Setting his balance, Joe fixed his bright blue eyes on the woman in front of him. Yes, he was weakened and in a lot of pain, but he was at least free of the chains and this girl was what? Six inches shorter than him?

“I’m not afraid of you, little girl. I’m sure you’ve got nothing on what that curly-haired psycho did to me.”  
“That ‘curly-haired psycho’ as you put it, happens to be my boyfriend and he learnt half the things he does from me, sweetheart.”  
“Yeah well, maybe something you should have learned from him is keep your victims locked up. You are not going to be strong enough to stop me leaving,” Joe replied, flinching slightly as he took a step forward.  
“I don’t have to, darling, the drug I just injected you with will do that for me.”  
“Drug?” Joe queried as he began to stagger, throwing an arm out for balance. “Wh-when did…”  
“This ring,” she pointed to what appeared to be a gold ring with a lavender jade rose-shaped stone in an elaborate setting. “Surely you felt it? See, it’s spring loaded.”

She held the edges of the stone and pushed down revealing a sharp needle-like object protruding through the centre of the rose.

“There’s a well of tranquiliser set underneath,” she explained. “When I press it down, the needle pops up and injects you. It works pretty quickly,” she smiled as Joe dropped to his knees, his head swimming. “Of course, I only gave you enough to incapacitate you, not to knock you out. You see,” she continued as she locked a pair of shackles around his wrists, “I’m bored. Ray and Gee are both out and I wanted someone to torture, but I much prefer to do it in my own dungeon. Besides,” she smirked, “there’s nothing quite like giving someone hope, then taking it away again!”

Standing back, Melanie picked up the remote control for the chains secured around his wrists and engaged the hydraulics, watching with a sly smile as Joe was hoisted upwards by his wrists, lifting him until his toes skimmed the floor – offering no comfort or support. Pressing and holding a second button on the remote saw Joe pulled back at speed toward the wall, his back crashing into it inducing a scream of pain.

“Ah, such music!” Melanie chuckled.

Lifting his eyes to glare at her, Joe bit his lip, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing him scared and in agony. But that action alone seemed to confirm exactly what she needed to know.

Tossing back her shoulder length blonde hair, Melanie fixed Joe with her large hazel grey eyes and smiled as she arranged several implements on a tray before carrying them to the wall and setting the tray down on a conveniently placed foldaway table.

“Do you want to know what I’m going to do to you, Joe?”  
“Fuck you, Melanie.”

Melanie giggled wickedly and picked up a gag from the table beside her and turned back to Joe.

“I like that you remembered my name,” she smiled, impressed at his memory despite the fog settling in his mind courtesy of the mild tranquilliser.

“I’m not forgetting any of your names!” Joe growled. “When I get out of here, I’ll make sure…”  
“When you get out?” Melanie’s eyes widened and she laughed loudly. “You’re not leaving here, well, not alive anyway!”  
“B-but… he said I’d be here for three days,” Joe’s eyes widened in terror.  
“That’s right,” Melanie nodded. “The client only paid for three days’ work. Two to two and half days with me and Ray and half to one day with Gee to kill you. Did he not explain that? Oh, well, at least you know now.”  
“K-kill me!” Joe’s voice shook as he said the words. “You talk like that’s a normal thing to say!”  
“It is in my world, baby.”

Melanie shoved the rope gag in Joe’s mouth and tied it tightly.

“Tight enough for you?” she asked, receiving a slight nod from Joe. “Yeah? Well not for me,” she added, pulling harder so that the rough threads cut into the skin around his mouth, making him bleed and eliciting a cry of pain from deep in Joe’s throat.

“As I said, I’m glad that you remember my name, but just to make sure, I’m going to carve it into your chest with this…” Melanie turned to her right and picked up a scalpel, showing it to Joe. “Please feel free to scream, nobody can hear you.”

Stepping closer to the trembling man, Melanie lifted the scalpel and used it first to cut the shirt from Joe’s shaking body, shoving it out of the way.

“How do you want this?” she asked, turning her eyes up to Joe’s, the scalpel poised, pressing gently against his skin, enough to dent, but not to cut.

Joe’s breath hitched as his eyes welled with tears. She was really doing this. The other guy had been bad enough, but somehow, because of her interaction with him, telling him what she was going to do… somehow it made it so much worse. Was it that? Or was it simply that she had just told him that at the end of all this pain, someone he was yet to meet was going to kill him?

Melanie glanced down briefly, then back up again, a dangerous, livid expression darkening her features.

“Do not get tears on my equipment!” she screamed, dipping the scalpel in a light acid solution before grabbing a soft cloth to clean it off. “It blunts the edges!”

Joe struggled desperately against the shackles; he knew it was hopeless, but he couldn’t do nothing.

“No,” she snapped, pressing her hand against his abdomen, forcing him back against the wall. “Perhaps I won’t wipe the acid off? Just in case you cry again.”

Raising a leg, Joe kicked as firmly as he could, catching just the side of her hip as she spotted the movement and stepped to the side. Placing the scalpel back on the tray, Melanie inspected the blueish flare of the bruise that was forming beneath her skirt.

“Oh, this is not going to go well for you!” she snapped.

Opening a cabinet to her right, standing along the wall, Melanie retrieved a box containing a set of manacles that had been adapted to include hooks around the outside. Securing them onto his ankles, she removed several weights from the box and attached them to the hooks. The added stress on his wrists caused the shackles to cut through the flesh, his blood now trickling down his arms.

“Now then, where was I?” she forcibly calmed herself; she wanted to enjoy this.

Picking up the scalpel once more, she began carving her name slowly and precisely, into his toned chest.

*

Gerard was quiet the whole car ride home and Ray kept tossing him sympathetic glances, he was in for it anyway with Melanie because of Ray, and then he’d gone and made it worse for himself by thinking about Frank. When they arrived home, Ray turned the engine off and squeezed Gee’s thigh reassuringly, avoiding the sticky mess from his unfortunate incident.

“Good luck I guess.”  
“Thanks, Ray. I think…I think I’m going to need it.”

As the pair headed inside they were met by the music of faint screams emanating from the basement.

“You should probably go and change before…Hey Melanie, having a good night?”

Melanie emerged from downstairs and rested a bloodied hand on Gerard’s shoulder and he shuddered.

“Gee should go and change before what, Ray? You’re going to finish that sentence if you know what’s good for you.”

Gerard bit his lip and looked pleadingly at Ray, trying to communicate with his eyes for Ray to keep his mouth shut.

“Turn around and look at me, Gerard, now,” Melanie insisted harshly, holding a hand up for Ray to keep quiet. “You know how much I hate having to repeat myself Gee. Now turn the fuck around.”

Gerard rolled his eyes but turned around slowly, willing the crimson colour in his face to disappear.

“Well, well, well, looks like somebody has broken at least one of my rules, you want to tell me what happened. Actually wait, no, I don’t want to hear it from you. Go and wait for me downstairs Gerard, I’ll deal with you in a minute.”  
“Yes Melanie.”

Gerard sagged but did as he was told, stripping off his shirt as he went. Melanie and Ray waited until he was out of sight and earshot before embracing and kissing passionately.

“I got your page saying you were home,” she grinned. “You’re almost as cruel to him as I am you know.”  
“Isn’t that why you love me?”  
“Well, it’s one of the reasons and if my hands weren’t covered in blood, I’d show you another! I’m curious though, did Gee actually think you weren’t going to tell me he broke my rules?”  
“I may have told him I wouldn’t tell you in exchange for his help with something. You should ask him to tell you what it is. You’ll like this one babe.” Ray smiled at Melanie and kissed her nose then squeezed her hands, holding them up in front of his face to inspect the blood stains. “I assume this means that you’re having fun?” He asked teasingly, already know what her answer would be.  
“He called you a curly-haired psycho, baby, I had to make him pay. That and I was bored.”

Melanie answered with a shrug, standing on her tiptoes so she could kiss Ray again. He pulled her close, grabbing her ass and smirking against her lips at the little whimper she let out.

“Well thank you for defending my honour. You better go and deal with Gee. I’m gonna shower then head to bed. Have fun, darling.”

Ray slapped Melanie’s ass playfully before heading to his bedroom, as she headed down to the basement.

“Well, now, you HAVE been a naughty boy. Ray told me everything, Gee. Except the ‘what he offered you’ part. Care to explain?”

Melanie pushed Gerard up against the door to her dungeon, a hand loosely around his throat, and undid his pants with the other.

“We… we ran into my little brother, Mikey, and he…fuck…he was all over Ray and then his pretty friend came and…they… they left. Mikey wouldn’t… wouldn’t come home with us because of me…Ray was really mad and I…I offered to help him kill Mikey if he didn’t tell you I got up and went to… to the bathroom and… and spoke.” Gerard stammered and avoided making eye contact with Melanie. He knew he was in for it and was scared about what Melanie would do to him.

“Ray was right, I do like the sound of that. Offering to help kill your own flesh and blood? If I wasn’t so mad at you baby Gee, I’d be fucking proud.”

Gerard smiled widely when Melanie said that she was proud and preened, running a hand through his hair. Melanie smirked and then advanced on Gerard, running her hand through his hair before grabbing a handful and pulling hard.

“If you think for one minute that just because I said I was ‘proud of you’, I’m not going to punish you for breaking every single one of my rules, you’ve got another thing coming.”

The smile fell from Gerard’s face and he swallowed nervously, furrowing his eyebrows and wildly looking around.

“I’m not too sure why you’re still standing here with your clothes on, Gerard.” Melanie said flatly and let him go, stepping inside the room herself and waiting for Gerard to come in.

Gerard’s gaze flicked over to Joe, still chained to the wall and frowned at Melanie.

“Aww, Melanie, it’s weird doing this when Ray’s victims are in here too. Can’t we do something about that?”  
“Yes, I’m really concerned about what’s weird for you Gerard, now get your clothes off and stop whining!” Melanie snapped, crossing her arms and looking at him disapprovingly.  
“What’s Ray’s victim doing in your dungeon anyway?”  
“You were both out, I got bored.” She said simply and shrugged.  
“Well, can’t he go back to Ray’s?”  
“I’ll move you to Ray’s and use his stuff if you don’t stop complaining.”

Gerard opened his mouth as if to argue again but thought better of it and closed it, stripping his clothes off and tossing them in the laundry hamper. He knelt by Melanie’s feet and clasps his hands together behind his back, eyes cast downward at the floor. Melanie pulled a blindfold across his eyes, fastening it firmly, but comfortably behind his head and stroked Gerard’s cheek, tipping his head up with two fingers hooked under his chin.

“Tell me Gee, why am I punishing you?” Melanie asked him sweetly, placing a chaste kiss to his cheek.  
“I spoke when I wasn’t supposed to, I got up and went to the bathroom and… and I came without your permission.”

Melanie laughed, pulling Gee to his feet with a firm hand around his bicep and pushing him towards the bed in the centre of the room.

“You didn’t need to be so specific sweetie, but I’m glad you did. Means you know exactly why I’m doing this and will hopefully discourage you from doing it again. But let’s be honest, this is you we’re talking about.”  
“I’m sorry Melanie. I was just trying to help Ray feel better. Mikey was being a terrible tease.”

Letting go of his chin, Melanie walked over to the wall opposite the bed and picked up one of the thick, leather floggers hanging there before she returned to Gee’s side.

“You’re a good friend, Gerard, but I’m still going to punish you and you’re not going to make any noise. If you do, I’ll gag you, understood?”  
“Yes Melanie.”  
“Good. Now bend over.”

Momentarily hesitant, Gerard did as he’s told almost straight away; the threat of being moved to Ray’s dungeon for his punishment overwhelming his urge to see just how far he could push Melanie. The first thud of the flogger across Gerard’s shoulder blades made him inhale sharply, not because it hurt, but because he wasn’t ready for it. The next two happened in quick succession and again across his shoulders and he had to take a couple of measured breaths to settle himself. Melanie chuckled to herself as she watched Gerard try to calm himself down and hit him once across his ass and he shifted a little, widening his stance.

“Stay still baby Gee, wouldn’t want me to miss now would you?”  
“No Melanie. Would you like me to count?”

Melanie ignored Gerard and just started hitting him with the flogger again, landing calculated blows to his shoulders, back and ass. She didn’t stop until Gerard’s usually pale skin was tinged pink and his legs started to shake a little. Satisfied, Melanie hung the flogger back up on the wall and retrieved a thin wooden cane, and a cock ring. Normally, Melanie wouldn’t make him wear a ring unless she wanted to edge him over and over again, but she knew how much he enjoyed the cane and doubted his ability to control himself on his own.

Melanie took the blindfold off and dropped it onto the bed with the cane and ring and knelt in front of Gerard.

“Have I ever told you how cute I think you are when you’re desperate and needy Gee?” She asked casually, wrapping her hand around Gee’s hard and leaking cock, jerking it a few times as he shook his head. “Too bad you are so, so far from being allowed to come. I haven’t even started to punish you yet, that was just the warm up. This…” Melanie picked up the cane and showed it to Gerard, delighting in the way he physically shuddered and paled. “…this is your punishment, and I’m even going to be nice and let you have the ring so you don’t have to control yourself. Now, you may make noise but you will not under any circumstances swear. If you do? I’ll take the ring off and make you control yourself. Am I understood?”  
“Yes Melanie.” Gerard spoke through gritted teeth and Melanie scowled disapprovingly but didn’t reprimand him for it, she’d make him pay for it later.  
“Good, then let’s begin.”

By the time Melanie was done with Gerard, he was shaking and a fine layer of sweat covered his aching body that had started to pink.

“Pink is a lovely colour on you Gee.” Melanie said as she stepped back to get a bottle of water from the small fridge, taking a few sips before handing the bottle to Gerard and he gulped it down greedily. “Now, do you remember what I said to you on the phone? About what happens now?”

Gerard scrunched his eyes closed and nodded minutely, dropping to his hands and knees in front of her.

“Thank you for punishing me, Melanie, please, do it again.”  
“That doesn’t sound much like begging to me baby Gee.” Melanie poked Gerard in the chest with the cane and used it to force his head up, he swallowed harshly and licked his lips.  
“Please Melanie, please punish me again, please. I haven’t learned my lesson yet. Please hit me again.”  
“Much better. Who am I to deny you of what you want when you beg so prettily. Up you get sweetie.”

Gerard pulled himself to his feet and stood in front of the bed as Melanie climbed up on it again.

“Put your hands over your head baby boy, don’t want to hurt your arms much more.”

Gerard did as he’s asked and Melanie clasped one of the many sets of manacles hanging from the ceiling around his wrists, and leant forward to whisper in his ear.

“You take this round well, Gee, and I’ll let you come, and give you all night to kill Joe.”

Melanie smiled at the look of absolute glee on Gerard’s face as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, the smile staying plastered on his face as she kissed him on the cheek and picked up the cane once more.

“Want you to count these for me okay?” Melanie just hit Gerard instead of waiting for answer, the cane landing squarely across his shoulders.  
“One.”

The second strike is in the same spot and Gerard flinched.

“Two.”

Melanie pondered for a moment where she was going to hit him the third and fourth time and settled on his lower back, hitting him in quick succession.

“Fuck, three, fo…four.”  
“I told you not to swear Gerard. First and only warning.”

Gerard dug his fingers into the heel of his palm to keep himself from swearing again when Melanie hit him, almost forgetting to count but caught himself just in time.

“Five.”  
“Halfway there Gee. You’re doing so good, precious. You ready?”  
“Yes please.”

Melanie smiled to herself. She really did have Gee wrapped around her little finger and the man would do anything for her. Too bad Melanie was in love with Ray and Gerard wouldn’t ever be anything more to her than a toy to play with and use as she saw fit.

“S…s…six.” Gerard stuttered out as Melanie hit him across the ass.  
“Seven, Eight. Oh, my god.”

Gerard dropped his head and Melanie hit him twice in the same spot, giggling wickedly when he flinched. Gerard yelped when Melanie hit him with the cane where his ass and thigh met, barely managing to rasp out “Nine” before she did it again in the exact same spot.

“Ten. Thank you, Melanie. Please, please can I come? Did everything you said and I’ve been a good boy. Oh, please, Melanie, please.”

Melanie hung the cane back up in its spot on the wall before she slowly walked back to Gerard and un-cuffed him.

“Go on then, you dirty little pain slut, take the ring off and make yourself come.”

Gerard was quick to comply when Melanie told him to jerk himself off until he comes, all too aware that she could watch and might change her mind and not let him finish. Melanie didn’t watch though, she just wanted him to be done so she could go and make Ray feel better, instead she retrieved his pants from the hamper.

“Shit…I’m gonna…love it when you hit me. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.”

Melanie handed Gerard his pants and some tissues to clean himself up and patted him on the back, turning him to face the shocked and suddenly terrified Joe.

“Go get 'em, Tiger.” She ruffled his hair and left the basement, Ray’s bedroom on her mind.

Once Melanie got back upstairs and was sure Gerard was occupied in the basement with Joe, she slipped into her room and changed into a revealing, black satin negligee. Melanie didn’t even bother knocking on Ray’s closed bedroom door before letting herself in, delighted to find him in bed, eyes closed, naked, with only a thin sheet covering himself.

“Gerard told me everything about the rather horrid end to what was going to be a great night. Was wondering if there was anything I could do to help.” Melanie said sweetly and climbed onto the bed, straddling Ray’s lap.  
“I’m tired Mel,” he said simply, throwing one arm over his face, resting his other hand on the curve of Melanie’s hip.  
“Well, that’s the beauty of this darling…” Melanie rolled her hips a few times, feeling Ray’s cock swell underneath her and smirked. She kept rolling her hips and leaned down to kiss below his ear. “…you just have to lay there, and let me take care of you.”

Ray moved his arm so he could look at Melanie, mischief and sincerity plastered across her beautiful but innocent face.

“You always know how to make me feel better. It’s one of the reasons I love you, babe.”

Ray relented, knowing that once Melanie set her mind to something, there was no talking her out of it, no matter how hard he tried.

“I love you too, Ray. Now relax, and let me take care of you.”


	3. Sing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey is abducted

After the pleasant way Melanie saw to it that he was relaxed and ready to sleep, Ray had slept soundly. So much so, that he had overslept. It wasn’t that he had to be anywhere, it was that there were things to attend to in order to avoid conflict. More specifically, he knew that Gee would normally be up and about any minute now and him waking up to find Melanie in Ray’s bed would not end well. With any luck, it would be a simple matter to resolve, but he had to hurry.

Thankfully, Ray knew from experience that after an evening kill, especially a particularly enjoyable one, Gerard would often remain in Melanie’s dungeon rather than return to his room. Often physically and mentally exhausted, it would feel like too much effort to head back upstairs, so he would make use of the bed that stood in the centre of the dungeon. Ray hoped that this had been one of those times and slipping silently downstairs to Melanie’s dungeon, he smiled as he saw Gerard still sleeping peacefully in the large bed. Closing the door quietly, Ray pushed one of the outer bolts across, ensuring that if he woke in the next few minutes, Gerard would be unable to leave.

Heading swiftly back upstairs, Ray gently scooped up the still sleeping Melanie from his bed and, making sure her head was comfortably resting on his shoulder, carried her across the hall to her own room without waking her up. Melanie would get cranky in the mornings if you woke her up before she was ready to wake, so it was always better to let her sleep.

He pressed a quick kiss to Melanie’s cheek before pulling her blanket over and her and shutting the door, then headed quickly back down to her dungeon to unlock the door. Once the door was unlocked, Ray slipped into his own dungeon to do some inconspicuous cleaning and waited for Gerard to emerge so he could go in and see what Melanie had done to Joe. The client who had hired them didn’t know Melanie was a part of the operation, he just thought she dealt with all their admin. Melanie was so much more than that and Ray mentally thanked the person responsible for her coming into their lives every day.

“Morning Ray! Did you sleep well?”

Wearing pants but no shirt, Gerard greeted him cheerily and Ray couldn’t help but notice the welts across his back and shoulders from his session with Melanie last night.

“I did thanks, what about you?” Ray replied, brightly.  
“I always sleep well after a session with Melanie. Especially one like last night.” Gee smiled to himself at the memory of the previous night and Ray discreetly rolled his eyes.  
“Lucky you. Melanie is making me clean her dungeon top to bottom in punishment for last night. I should go get started. She’ll kick my ass if she gets up and I’m not in there. You should go make her coffee and breakfast for when she wakes up.”  
“Oh, good idea! You’re full of great suggestions considering how early it is. Thanks Ray! I’ll see you later!”

Gerard called over his shoulder and headed to the kitchen to go get started on what Ray was sure would be a wonderful breakfast for their lady.

Ray headed into Melanie’s dungeon and looked over at the slumped form of Joe still chained to the wall. There was dried blood caked around his wrists and ankles from the shackles Melanie had used and he rolled his eyes again. As he got closer, Ray could see that there was a lot of blood on his chest and stomach and smiled happily, Gerard had definitely made him suffer before he’d killed him. It wasn’t until he was standing directly in front of Joe that Ray realised something was off about the marks on Joe’s chest.

“What the…?”

Ray pushed Joe’s head back so he could properly see his chest and shook his head. Ray pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed a quick text to Melanie.

‘ _Get Gee out of the house. You and I need to talk. **Now**_.’

Melanie rolled over to the sound of her phone going off loudly beside her head, and the faint sound of Gee singing to himself in the kitchen. She smiled to herself when she realised that she was back in her own bed and picked up her phone, quickly losing he smile as she noticed the angry looking text message from Ray.

 _What was he getting his panties in a bunch about this time?_ She wondered.

Melanie sighed and pushed herself out of bed and threw on a pair of short shorts and a tight-fitting t-shirt. Gee would do whatever she told him anyway, but it was fun to show him as much skin as possible, especially as he wasn’t allowed to touch.

“Morning Gee, baby, how’d you sleep?”  
“Really well thanks, Melanie, how about you?”  
“So good!” she smiled. “In fact, I don’t even remember getting into my bed!”  
“You should go back to bed for a while, I’m making you breakfast.” Gee turned around, his eyes popped and he nearly dropped the bowl of scrambled eggs he was making when he saw what Melanie was wearing. He swallowed hard, and it took a full ten seconds before he realised he had stopped whisking the mixture.  
“That’s really sweet, Gee. I have a bit of a craving for pancakes though…with the syrup you can buy from IHOP. Think you could go get me some?”  
“Y-yes, of course Melanie, anything you want,” he replied, pulling himself together. “I’ll go now and cook for you when I get back.”

Melanie watched as Gee silently and quickly packed up everything he was doing before grabbing the car keys and heading out, quickly kissing her on the cheek before he left.

“He’s gone Ray, you can come upstairs now.” Melanie called, now seated at the kitchen table, drinking coffee.

Ray stormed up the stairs and into the kitchen, throwing his phone down on the table in front of Melanie, his camera gallery open.

“What the fuck is this, Mel?”  
“Looks like my name carved into Joe’s chest.” Melanie shrugged, not understanding why Ray was so mad about it.  
“Why?” he growled, barely holding his anger in.  
“I told you, I was bored!” Melanie frowned; it wasn’t that she didn’t know what he was objecting to, it was that he was overreacting. “What of it?”  
“Did I miss the part where you’ve completely lost your fucking mind, Melanie?!”

Melanie sat quietly, pursing her lips and taking another sip of her coffee.

“What the fuck were you thinking? Carving your name on a vic? Do you want to get us arrested? You silly little girl!”

The moment the words were out of his mouth Ray regretted them but it was too late to take them back.

“Melanie…” he began.  
“Fuck you, Ray.” Melanie spat, knocking her chair over as she leapt up angrily, her words filled with venom and blood pouring from her hand where the shards of the mug she had smashed were sticking out. Pulling the larger pieces from her abraded hand, she headed downstairs to Ray’s dungeon and picked up a large hunting knife.

“Honey…what are you doing?” Ray stepped out of Melanie’s way as she stalked back to her dungeon, brandishing the knife and waving it in his face.  
“Oh I don’t know, Ray. I’m just a, how did you put it? Oh yeah, a ‘silly little girl’! I don’t fucking know what I’m doing!”

Melanie was dangerously close to Ray with the knife now and took a swing at him with her closed, bleeding fist. Ray dodged it easily and caught Melanie’s fist, twisting her arm up behind her back. He reached out and twisted Melanie’s right wrist until the knife clattered to the floor. Even though she was clearly furious, Ray had not felt threatened by the knife. There was something about how she was carrying herself that told him she wasn’t going to use it against him. This was only confirmed by the punch she delivered to him.

“Calm down. You’re not silly, and you’re definitely not a little girl. A little girl would not be half as good at the things you excel at my love.” Ray said gently in Melanie’s ear, biting her earlobe but she still struggled in his arms.  
“Let go of me, right the fuck now! I’m going to kick your ass.”

Ray laughed in Melanie’s ear and half carried, half dragged her across the hall into his dungeon, pushing her up against one of the walls. Being taller and physically stronger than Melanie, it was almost too easy for him to pin her wrists above her head with one hand and chain them there with the other hand.

“What do you think of the shackles, Mel? They’re new.”

Ray smiled as Melanie pulled against them and huffed impatiently at him.

“I’d like them better if they weren’t around my wrists, Ray.”

She spoke calmly but Ray wasn’t fooled, the vein in Melanie’s forehead was still popping and he knew she was still angry.

“I like them too,” he grinned wickedly. “They automatically tighten when you pull against them, if you hadn’t noticed.”

Melanie rolled her eyes and wrapped a leg around Ray’s hip, pulling him flush against her and captured his lips with her own.

“You’re so fucking hot right now. I want you. Hard and fast please.”

Ray smirked, angry sex was common between the two, and it always calmed Mel down when he said something that was maybe a little stupid and she overreacted a little.

“Are you sure, honey? I might make you squirm and like I said, if you pull on those shackles, they’ll keep tightening.”  
“Well, now,” Melanie leaned towards him and flicked her tongue across his upper lip before making a show of pulling once more on the shackles and allowing a small gasp of delight to escape her lips as they closed tighter around her wrists. “You better do me fast, because, darling, if you’re not making me squirm there’ll be hell to pay!”  
“Anything you want honey, anything you want.”

*

That night, it was Mikey’s turn to lock up the coffee shop and he was carrying far too much stuff. Everyone had long since left, the branch had closed at seven o’clock and he’d stayed on for a few hours. It was a good place to get some college work done. He could have a sandwich, drink his weight in coffee, even go to the bathroom without having to pack up his laptop.

Absorbed in the essay he was writing, he had lost all track of time, but knew it was late when, despite the half dozen cups sitting on the table, he was yawning. He hadn’t quite noticed the passage of time because, with the approach of summer, it had stayed light out for a long time, but now it was very dark and time to head off.

Stuffing his laptop into his messenger bag, throwing all but one of the cardboard cups into the recycling bin, he bit down on the rim of the remaining one, trying to carry it in his mouth as he searched his pockets for his phone and keys. They weren’t difficult to find, just to retrieve. Even he had to admit that these particular jeans were even skinnier than his usual ones, but Frank liked them. He smiled to himself; Frank was a great friend and more of a brother than Gerard had ever been. He frowned and shook his head lightly with distaste at the thought. No, that was far too weird! Frank was a friend, a great friend, a friend with seriously good benefits and there were things he got up to with Frank that were very unbrotherly. Frank was most definitely _not_ a brother to him! He had a brother, he didn’t even like him, he definitely didn’t need another one!

Why couldn’t Gerard be a nice, normal brother who hadn’t stolen his boyfriend five years earlier? No, not boyfriend. He had been _the one_. He was sure of it. Mikey had loved him dearly, but Gerard, with his arrogant confidence, dark brooding eyes and complete disinterest in his own brother’s feelings had stolen the love of his life and trampled all over his heart in the process. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Gerard hadn’t then dumped him only four months later. It had made Mikey wonder if he had even been interested in him at all or if was it simply that he didn’t want Mikey to have him? The whole experience had left Mikey in a very dark place and if it hadn’t been for Frank… well, he didn’t even want to finish that sentence. Needless to say, Mikey hadn’t spoken a civil word to his brother since.

No, he had only thought about Gerard because of the night at the club when he had accidentally bumped into him, and had met that handsomely built guy, Ray. If only he hadn’t been Gerard’s friend? Had he been hasty there? Ray had been really sweet and, in retrospect, he’d treated him quite badly. It was no excuse, but he had been very drunk, and he had woken with the hangover from hell to prove it. Despite Frank’s insistence on water and coffee after they had returned home, he had still been very unwell the next morning. And tied to the bed. That had been an embarrassing situation. Not that he was tied down, _per se_ , but that after all the fluids Frank had forced him to drink, he had been desperate to go to the bathroom when he woke.

Screaming for Frank at the top of his lungs, only partially muffled by the pillow pressing into his face, had not gone down well with the neighbours and it hadn’t exactly made Frank all that happy either. Because of looking after the tequila-sodden Mikey, he’d had a very late night and was exhausted.

Frank didn’t even seem all that convinced about being told that leaving him tied up all night wasn’t a good idea, especially after Mikey had literally begged him to do it in the first place.

Really? That did sound like something he would do. Mikey blushed at the idea.

No, Frank simply wanted to be sure he knew _exactly_ where Mikey’s hands were going to be for the rest of the night.

If there was one thing about which Mikey was reasonably certain, it was that he really didn’t believe that he ever got that handsy when he was drunk and, no, neither did he remember them being thrown out of the taxi for him trying to give Frank a blow job. Frank had been making that up, surely?

Probably not.

Maybe the tequila had been a mistake? That had been Gerard’s fault too. Mikey took a deep breath before exhaling immediately, steaming up his glasses as the breath bounced back into his face from the hot coffee still dangling from his mouth. No, it wasn’t. He had drunk the tequila, he had drunk a lot of tequila, and he had been rude to Ray. He looked at his phone lying in his hand. Perhaps he should call Gerard? Perhaps it was time to put it all behind them and make up?

_Shit!_

It all happened so fast! The phone rang in his hand and Mikey jerked in startled response, scalded his lips with the coffee as it splashed up. Dropping the cup as he cried out in pain and shock, he spilt the two-thirds full cup of coffee all over the floor. Now he was going to have to clean that up before he left and he was going to be even later getting home than he thought.

_Dammit!_

“Hello?” he almost snapped into the phone as his burnt lips stung from the movement of speaking.  
“For fuck’s sake, Mikey, can’t you even try to be civil?”  
“Gerard?” Mikey gasped in surprise. “Sorry,” he stammered. “I just burnt myself.”  
“Holding a coffee cup in your mouth again?” Gerard chuckled.  
“How did you know?” Mikey’s eyes widened in surprise.

_Fuck!_

Still on edge, Mikey dropped the phone in shock as a loud rapping came from the coffee shop window. Looking down at the cracked screen of the phone, Mikey swore his frustration before looking over to the window to see Gerard outside smiling, or it could have been laughing, at him. He sighed heavily again – okay, remember, this was your fault, he told himself, not Gerard’s.

Walking over to the door, Mikey reached up and unfastened the bolts holding the door shut, waving for Gerard to come in.

“Thanks, Mikes, I wasn’t sure if you’d let me in,” he smiled as he walked past his brother into the coffee shop.  
“I’m glad to see you, actually,” Mikey began, as Gerard headed inside.  
“So, this is where you work?”

Mikey turned to towards him, surprised to see Gerard still had his back to him and had either not heard or had ignored his last statement.

“Yeah, I’m in college, so it helps make ends meet.” Mikey replied, unhooking his messenger bag from around his shoulders and hanging it off the back of a nearby chair. “So, do you want a coffee or something?”  
“Love to, Mikes,” Gerard turned to face him and offered a small shrug. “You know what I’m like for coffee, but we don’t really have time.”  
“Why?” Mikey frowned. “What’s going on?”

Gerard offered a mischievous smile in return, confusing Mikey all the more. There was no sound, no indication that anything was wrong, not until a strong arm wrapped itself around his waist pinning Mikey’s arms. Simultaneously a hand clamped a damp cloth over his nose and mouth. Mikey’s eyes widened in panic as he writhed in the man’s grip, all the while Gerard merely grinned at him. Whoever, this man was, Gerard’s reaction showed him that they were together. That Gerard approved of what was happening to him. Momentarily it was overwhelming to think that Gerard could do this to him – whatever _this_ was. How could he even have contemplated forgiving him?

Finally, his sense of preservation overrode the shock and finding reserves of strength in his panicked state that he didn’t know he had, Mikey pulled and twisted against the strong grip, frustrated that the man had pinned his arms just below his elbows, preventing him from bending them. Gerard stepped closer as he noticed his brother’s struggles begin to weaken.

“That sweet, slightly fruity and musty smell you’re experiencing is chloroform,” Gerard explained with a chuckle. “It doesn’t work quite like it does in the movies though,” he continued, apparently explaining, but Mikey wasn’t listening, he was struggling.

Stamping his foot backwards, he caught his assailant on the leg, dragging the heel of his boot down his right shin. Yelping in pain, Ray loosened his grip on Mikey, spinning him around and landing a sold punch to his jaw. Careening to the floor, Mikey sprawled, his vision blurred and his mind reeling.

“I was going to say, Mikes,” Gerard lowered himself to the floor, avoiding the coffee spill. “It’s not actually as quick to make someone pass out as it seems in movies. Takes a good minute or two, but it’ll still make you pretty weak even with just a little.”

Gerard chuckled as Mikey tried hard to push himself up only to fall once more, completely disorientated.

“Why didn’t you tell me the little runt was so wriggly!” Ray complained, leaning against a table and nursing his rapidly bruising shin.  
“Hey!” Gerard bristled, not even certain himself as to why.  
“What?” Ray snapped. “Family loyalty all of a sudden?”  
“No.”

Gerard shifted uncomfortably; in truth, he hadn’t been sure why he had defended him, albeit slightly but he did know that Ray’s comment had angered him. But now Ray was staring expectantly at him, waiting for… no, requiring an answer.

“It’s you, thinking that I should know what he’s like!” Gerard grumbled, relieved to have thought of a reason for his outburst. “Do you honestly think I’d have suggested this if I knew he’d manage to hurt you?”  
“Sorry, Gee,” all the anger fell from Ray’s face. “You’re helping me kill him, you’re hardly likely to worry about an insult!”  
“You want to finish this off?” Gerard asked Ray quietly, still uncomfortable by the exchange.  
“No need,” the taller man replied as he bent to pick Mikey up from the floor.

Although still conscious, if barely, Mikey’s eyes remained closed as Ray hoisted him over his shoulder. Feeling as though he was putting up quite the fight, in reality, Mikey was barely moving and was completely unable to cry out for help.

As Mikey sunk deeper towards oblivion, his dropped phone began to buzz as a call came in. Gerard noted the name on the cracked screen: Frankie. Picking up the phone, Gerard smiled to himself – maybe there was a way to get near the tattooed beauty after all?

Swiping across the screen to answer, Gerard placed the phone to his ear as he watched Ray dump Mikey’s almost certainly unconscious form into the trunk of his car.

“Hello?” he answered, doing his best to sound uncertain.  
“Oh,” came Frank’s voice, somewhat puzzled. “I think I have the wrong number.”  
“You’re after Mikey?” Gerard smiled as he sunk gleefully into his greatest acting role ever – concerned brother.  
“Yeah!” Frank replied brightly, assuming a work friend had answered his phone while he was busy, but his voice dropped a tone, once again filled with uncertainty as he realised the time. “Is he there?”  
“Is that Frank?” Gerard asked. “Frank from the club?”  
“Yeah,” Frank was concerned now. “Who is this? Where’s Mikey?”  
“It’s Gerard, Mikey’s brother,” he explained.  
“Oh! Er… where’s Mikey?” he repeated, somewhat confused.  
“I don’t know,” Gerard made his voice tremble slightly. “I came to the coffee shop to see him. I wanted to see if we could patch things up but the place is a mess. His stuff’s here, but… Frank, I’m worried.”  
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes!”  
“No!” Gerard shouted. “They won’t let you near the place. They only let me in because I’m his brother.”  
“Who? The police?” Frank asked. “You called them?”  
“Yeah, of course.”

Gerard pushed his hand through his hair, willing himself to think faster. His desperation turned to delight as he saw Ray heading back to the coffee shop.

“Hang on, I’ll get one of them to speak to you.”

Placing the phone on the table, Gerard placed a finger over his lips to warn Ray not to speak, before racing over to prepare him for the conversation.

“It’s Frank, you remember from the club? Mikey’s friend?” Gerard whispered.  
“Oh, yeah, I remember him,” Ray grumbled. “What of it?”  
“He called Mikey’s cell just as you were taking him out. I told him I called the police because I came to patch things up and found the place in a mess and Mikey gone.”  
“What?” Ray frowned, initially puzzled. “Ah! So he won’t call them? Genius, Gee.”  
“I need you to pretend to be a detective. Just tell him you’re looking into it and you’ll keep me informed. Did he hear you speak?”

Ray tipped his head to one side as he gave it some thought, trying to remember exactly who was where when he had spoken. In his line of work, memory and attention to detail were important and one other additionally helpful detail was that he was driving that night which meant he hadn’t been drinking. Ray never drank when he drove; to the outside world he was a model citizen, but of course, nobody ever thinks that the guy living next door to them is a psychopath.

“I think once, maybe twice?” he frowned; he knew he had a distinctive voice. “I’ll disguise it.”

Heading back inside, Ray picked up the phone and, lowering his pitch, spoke in a gruff voice.

“Hello, this is Detective Grady,” he introduced himself with a fake name. “I understand that you’re Mr Way’s roommate?”  
“Yeah, my name’s Frank Iero,” he replied immediately, the stress in his voice clear.

Ray suddenly realised that he’d have to take some details in order to sound genuine and some of those details might even prove helpful. Signalling to Gerard to find him a pen and some paper, Ray stalled.

“Hang on, my pen’s run out,” then aside, “sergeant, I need a pen.”

Returning quickly from Mikey’s messenger bag with a notepad and pen, Gerard placed them on the table by Ray’s hand.

“Okay, can you spell your last name, please? And I’ll need your address,” Ray gave an assortment of verbal nods as he jotted down the details. “Did he have any enemies do you know? Any recent problems?”  
“Well… yeah, now I think about it. There were two incidents on Friday at a club we go to.”  
“Two?”  
“Yeah, some guy got real handsy with him, kept groping him, wouldn’t let him go.”  
“Did you see this man?” Ray asked only half paying attention; clearly this had been the man he had rescued Mikey from when they met.  
“I didn’t, but I did see the other guy.”  
“And what happened there?” he asked curious as to how Mikey had relayed the story.  
“That wasn’t as bad at first. This guy actually rescued Mikey from the groper, but then he got him drunk in about ten minutes and when I found him, he seemed really angry that Mikey didn’t want to go home with him.”  
“Angry? Did Mr Way say why he didn’t want to?” Ray was curious now.  
“The guy, Ray his name was, he was out with Mikey’s brother and they really hate each other. It was just because of Gerard really. I think he would have otherwise, but he was so drunk, I was worried and I took him home.”  
“And this man, Ray, would you recognise him?”  
“Well, Gerard knows him,” Frank confirmed, he believed helpfully.  
“Yes, I’ll speak to him, but would _you_ recognise him?”  
“Definitely,” Frank replied, unwittingly potentially placing himself in danger. “He was pretty distinctive.”  
“Right, we’ll probably need to talk to you again, but we’ll keep the other Mr Way informed of any progress.”  
“Can I speak to him again then, before you finish with me?” Frank asked, determined to get Gerard’s details so he could contact him.  
“Sure,” Ray replied, about to hand the phone back to Gerard, before thinking of one other question. “One last thing, we will need access to his phone but it’s protected. Do you know the unlock code? I know we can do it back at the station, but if you have it, it’ll be quicker.”  
“Oh, sure,” Frank nodded. “It’s 1-0-3-1.”  
“Thanks, I’ll hand you back to his brother.”  
“You… you will find him?”  
“We’ll do our best, Mr Iero, in the meantime, if he turns up or you hear anything, please call me.”  
“Uh, yeah,” Frank was at a loss.  
“Frank?” Gerard spoke into the phone. “It’s me, Gerard.”  
“Oh, I need your details so I can stay in touch and I’m sorry I didn’t ask before, how are you holding up?”

There was something about the way Frank had asked the question – so caring and concerned for someone he didn’t even know and knew his friend didn’t even like. From his reaction in the club, it was clear that Frank knew who he was. Perhaps Mikey had even told him about their falling out and yet, and yet he was still being so kind to him.

“Can…” he began hesitantly. “Can I come over? Please?”

Ray raised an eyebrow at the words.

“Of course!” Frank replied immediately. “I’ll give you my address.”  
“It’s okay, I can get it from the detective,” he replied. “I’ll be right over.”

Shutting the phone off, Gerard looked at Ray’s questioning expression.

“What?” he shrugged, raising his palms. “I want to make sure he doesn’t suspect anything. I need to look like the concerned brother. Here, you better take this,” Gerard handed Ray Mikey’s phone. “If I still have it, he will get suspicious.”  
Ray nodded; it made sense. “I’ll take his bag too. Anyway, I better get him locked up before he wakes up.”  
“Don’t start without me!” Gerard called cheerily with a broad grin, raising an appreciative smile from Ray as he picked up Mikey’s messenger bag and headed back to the car.

*

It was approaching eleven o’clock when Gerard pulled up outside Frank and Mikey’s house. As he switched the engine off, the front door opened and he saw Frank silhouetted in the doorway with the bright light from the hall behind him. Even though he could make out no features, Gerard could see the contours of his small but lithe form. The gentle curve of his biceps and thighs. Frank was not a muscular man – Gerard didn’t like that sort of man anyway – but he was clearly fit, toned and strong. He may be small, but this was not a delicate or weak man and he was keen to explore Frank’s flawless body and lose himself in those eyes. _Those eyes_ – deep pools of green-gold that promised unending pleasure, innocent yet worldly, captivating, lovely. He was already in love with those eyes.

A sudden rap on the window startled him and Gerard turned his head sharply to see _those eyes_ were looking at him right now and the overriding expression in them was confusion. Gathering his wits, Gerard opened the car door as Frank stood back to let him out. As they stood outside in the dimly lit street, Gerard could now see the pain in Frank’s expression. He looked hopeless, helpless and lost. An overwhelming feeling washed over Gerard that he was reasonably certain he had never felt before. He felt protective.

“Oh!” Frank gasped. “You really are worried, aren’t you?”

Gerard looked down and for the second time in only a few minutes realised he had acted without realising what he was doing and that he had pulled Frank into an embrace.

“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered, pulling back suddenly.  
“It’s okay,” Frank smiled, resting his hand on Gerard’s arm. “Come in.”

Once inside, Gerard glanced around the living room. He couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was Frank’s and how much was Mikey’s taste. It was fair to say that having not seen him for five years, he really didn’t know much about what his brother liked.

“Do you want a drink?” Frank asked.

Gerard swallowed, only now realising his mouth was dry.

“Whatever you’re having,” Gerard answered, surprising himself as he sounded nervous and distant.  
“Okay,” Frank tipped his head and smiled. “Do you want blood from virgins, or don’t you mind?”

Gerard’s head spun to face Frank, his eyes wide and round, and lips parted in surprise.

“Wh-what?”

Frank’s grin widened.

“Beer?”  
“Er…”  
“Relax, Gerard,” Frank patted his arm again. “I know it’s not really the time for jokes, but you seem really out of it and when I get nervous…”

Frank left the sentence hanging and stared into Gerard’s eyes, looking for some sign that he hadn’t either offended or upset him. After only a few moments, Gerard’s shoulders seemed to drop an inch or more and he nodded with a smile.

“A beer would be great, thanks.”  
“Make yourself at home, I’ll make a snack too. Anything you don’t eat?”  
“No, well, avocado and celery, they’re evil.”  
“Wow, specific,” Frank raised his eyebrows. “I think I can manage that,” he added with a smile.

Gerard settled into the couch and crossed his legs. Still occasionally glancing around the room and flicking through a magazine that could have belonged to either of them, he frowned at how little he knew his own brother now. The reasons he and Mikey had fallen out hadn’t exactly been what Mikey had believed, but Gerard had felt it was less painful than the alternative. Now he was pondering on that pain and if it had been less for either of them.

“You sit just like him,” Frank announced as he carried a tray in and placed it on the coffee table in front of the couch.  
“Frank?” Gerard began hesitantly. “Are you and him…?”

Despite everything else that was going on, he felt a sudden pang of guilt about the possibility that he would steal another boyfriend of Mikey’s.

Frank’s eyes widened and he took a step back.

“You’re direct!”  
“I… I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have…” he sighed and looked at his hands, his fingers lacing and unlacing nervously.

Even Gerard didn’t understand his awkwardness around Frank. Only the other night, he had murdered a man, slowly, painfully and he had enjoyed it. Tonight he had assisted in the abduction of his own brother, knowing that Ray wanted to torture and kill him. Yet here he was with Frank, tripping over his words and feeling guilty.

“He told me what you did. Why you fell out,” Frank replied, tipping his head as Gerard’s shoulders sagged.  
“It’s not quite how he told it you know,” Gerard replied without looking up. “Not that it makes much difference.”  
“How do you know how he told it?” Frank asked quietly and, surprisingly without malice.

Gerard looked up once more into those perfect eyes and chewed on his lip. Nothing in Frank’s expression seemed to judge him.

“Because he doesn’t have all the details.”  
Frank pursed his lips. “Do you want to fill in the gaps?”  
“Not just to get myself out of your bad books,” he sighed.

Frank smiled; the reply was endearing. Taking a seat beside Gerard, he handed him a beer.

“Tell me,” he encouraged.  
“I won’t bore you with the bit you know,” Gerard shrugged. “But the bit you don’t know is that he… Pete, Mikey’s boyfriend. He seduced me, not the other way around. I know that doesn’t make anything any better, I still shouldn’t have gone off with him, but he had me wrapped around his little finger.”

“He was very charming,” Frank agreed.  
“Four months in, I found out he was cheating on me and not only that, but he had been cheating on Mikey with the same guy for at least a year.”

Frank pulled the bottle from his lips in surprise as he almost choked on the sip of beer he had taken.

“Seriously?”

Gerard appeared suddenly very sad at the memory.

“Very. He was threatening to go back to Mikey and try to date him again. There was no way Mikes was going to believe me and I knew all he’d do was break his heart. I thought it would be easier, cleaner if I did.”  
“Well, if it’s any consolation, it worked,” Frank drew a breath. “He hates you and still wonders where Pete went. What? You made him leave?”  
“Yeah,” Gerard pursed his lips and looked to the side. “He won’t be showing his face again any time soon.”

Gerard remembered dumping the body; there was no face left to show.

“That’s actually kind of sweet you know,” Frank’s lips curled up in an encouraging smile as he placed a gentle hand on Gerard’s thigh. “And no, we’re not dating. Just friends.”

Gerard offered another shy awkward smile; he suddenly felt seventeen again. It brought forth memories of awkwardness, shy indecisiveness but above all, the thought that anything was possible. Hesitating for the briefest of moments, Gerard moved forward and placed his lips on Frank’s. The taste was sweet, the feeling was electric and his whole body tingled with a thrill he had experienced in no other way.

Starting to ease back, Gerard felt a hand on the back of his head pulling him back into the kiss that grew suddenly urgent and intense. Snaking his hand around Frank’s waist, Gerard almost moaned with delight as Frank’s tongue ran across his lips. In that moment, everything else was forgotten.

*

“Think we should have a little bit of fun with dear, sweet Mikey before you torture him my love.”

Ray raised an eyebrow and looked down at Melanie who was lying half on top of him, resting her chin on her hands and smirking at him.

“Oh yeah? How exactly were you planning on doing that?”

Melanie winked, leaning up so she could lick Ray’s nipple and bit his chest, sucking a bruise into his skin until he pulled her away by her hair.

“Wouldn’t it be fun for him to wake up with ‘poor, innocent, defenceless me’? I just love it when I get to play the fretting Damsel in Distress. Makes it all the more fun when the hope goes out in their eyes.”

Melanie sighed dreamily and sat up, bouncing a little on her knees in anticipation and Ray rolled his eyes.

It was virtually impossible for him to say no to Melanie when she was that excited, or when she was naked like she was at that moment. But, even Ray had to admit how enjoyable it was crushing someone’s hope. He also knew that Melanie would make Mikey suffer, one way or another.

“Pleeeeeease Ray?” Melanie whined and Ray pretended to be thinking about the idea.  
“Alright Honey, if it’s what you really want.”

Melanie grinned and clapped her hands excitedly.

“Yay! Thank you darling.” Melanie kissed Ray on the cheek. “You should come down to my room and help me pick my clothes.” She whispered hotly against his ear and smirked when Ray shuddered a little.  
”Su…sure Mel, I’ll…I’ll be in in a few minutes.”  
“Okay.”

Melanie purposely dragged her fingertips over Ray’s cock as she stood up, tossing her hair over her shoulder and swaying her hips as she walked away, throwing her robe on so Gerard wouldn’t see her naked. Melanie naked was something that Gee had to work very hard to earn the privilege of seeing, working even harder to be allowed to touch her.

Ray shook his head and got up to shower and put clothes on. He thought about jerking off in the shower but decided against it because he had a feeling he and Melanie would be going for round three later on that evening or possibly in the morning. By the time Ray reached Melanie’s bedroom, she had several pieces of clothing laid out on her bed and was standing in the middle of her room in a black lace bra, matching panties and black, over the knee socks.

“Unless you’re planning on seducing him, Mel, I’d advise more clothing.”  
“You’re funny.” Melanie deadpanned, not even bothering to turn around.  
“I think you should go for the powder blue number with the black cardigan. That outfit accentuates your big, innocent eyes.”  
“You think so?”

Melanie crossed the room to her closet to find the outfit Ray was talking about and threw it on. Ray couldn’t help but admire her in the dress which had a sweetheart neckline, sat about mid-thigh and hugged Melanie’s small waist. The cardigan wasn’t entirely necessary but it covered the bruises around Mel’s wrists from the previous morning’s adventures with the shackles.

“Have you seen Gee yet this morning?” Melanie asked as she sat down in front of her vanity mirror. “It’s not like him to sleep in.”

“I’ll go and drag him out of his pit,” Ray laughed kissing the top of her head. “He did say he didn’t want us to start without him.”

Once Ray had left the room, Melanie got to work on her make-up, adding a few extra things into her look that she thought would be helpful in convincing Mikey of her ‘innocent victim’ status. Scrawling a quick note to Ray and Gerard and leaving it in the kitchen, she headed down to be with Mikey.

This was going to be fun.


	4. Planetary (GO!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey's really not having the best of days

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to wake up.”

A voice said at Mikey’s side and he pushed himself up to a sitting position. The girl, she was just a girl, no older than nineteen or twenty if Mikey had to guess, was sitting beside him hugging her knees, her blonde hair covering half her face.

“Where are we? And who are you?” Mikey asked her kindly, trying not to show how scared he was. He didn’t know who this girl was, but he wanted to make sure she was okay.  
“I…I’m Melanie and we’re in Ray and Gerard’s basement. They… they sent me down here to check on… on you.”  
“Gerard?”

Melanie laughed nervously at Mikey’s shock that his brother was involved.

“Gerard isn’t the one you have to look out for. Ray… Ray is different. He… He comes across like he’s the nice one but… he’s crazy. I… I’ve had to clean up in here after he’s tortured someone. It wasn’t pretty.”

He watched as Melanie physically shuddered and drew her knees in closer to her body.

“When Ray told me he and Gerard killed people for money the other night I thought he was joking. What about my brother? What does does he do?”

Melanie looks at Mikey with furrowed brows, pretending to be confused by his question.

“Your brother? I don’t… I don’t understand.”  
“Gerard, he’s my older brother.”  
“Oh… I didn’t know Gerard had a brother. He… He does most of the killing. Generally, he favours a gun, but sometimes he uses a knife. Sorry… I… I’ll stop. You don’t want to know what they’re like.”

Melanie tucked her hair behind her ear and made sure that Mikey could see the fake bruises that she created with make-up to look like fingerprints around her throat. She hid a smirk as Mikey’s eyes suddenly widened as he spotted them.

“How old are you Melanie? How long have you been here?” Mikey pressed, trying not to startle her too much as she already looked terrified.  
“I… I’m twenty-two… they… they kidnapped me when I was nineteen.”  
“You’ve been here for three years? Oh, sweetheart I’m so sorry.”

Mikey hugged her, pulling away when he felt her stiffen from the contact. Melanie sniffled, wiping her eyes and nose with the back of her hand.

“It’s not so… so bad. As long as I do all my chores they leave me alone. But if I… if I don’t…” Melanie shuddered leaving the sentence hanging meaningfully.

Watching on the monitor feed and rolling his eyes at Mikey’s gullibility, Ray laughed as he watched Melanie her sleeves up to show Mikey her bruised wrists from when she and Ray had been messing around with his new shackles. Mikey gasped in shock as Melanie started fake-crying again. She was a very good actress and Mikey played right into her hands.

“Idiot.” Ray said out loud to nobody, lips quirking into a smile.

Back in the basement Mikey floundered helplessly as he tried to work out how to comfort Melanie without actually touching her.

“Melanie, sweetie, listen to me, we can get out of here, but I can’t get us out on my own. Can you help me?” Mikey softly touched Melanie’s hand and she looked up at him through teary eyes, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly.  
“What do you need me to do?”  
“Do you know the way out of here? I can fight Ray and Gerard but you’ll have to show me where to go, can you do that?” Melanie jumped to her feet and began shaking her head, before pulling the handheld Taser out of her back pocket and brandishing it at Mikey.

Mikey scrambled to his feet, putting his hands up defensively and taking a few steps away from her, initially surprised by the response.

“I’m sorry Mikey… I… I can’t help you. They’ll kill me if I try. Now, get back, towards that wall.”

Jerking her head to the left as an indication of where she wanted him to go Melanie advanced on Mikey with the Taser. Mikey kept his hands up in a defensive position and backed up slowly until he felt his back hit the cold stone wall.

“Melanie, I understand you’re scared, but…”

“Shut up Mikey, I can’t help you! Put your hands above your head, grab onto those chains and hold still.”

Melanie held the Taser to Mikey’s throat and closed the shackles around his wrists before stepping back.

Once the shackles were closed around Mikey’s wrists, Ray stood up from his desk and headed down to the basement. Melanie had played her role perfectly, Ray had predicted that Mikey would ask her to help him escape. He passed by Gerard’s room and stuck his head in.

“You wanna come terrorise your brother with me? Melanie has him all shackled up and helpless.”

Gerard grinned wolfishly and pushed himself up off his bed.

“It’d be my genuine pleasure.”

Melanie pulled up a chair and was watching Mikey intently. He didn’t seem at all phased by the shackles, giving her the impression that this wasn’t the first time he’d been tied up.

“Can I ask you something Melanie?”  
Melanie regarded him carefully and then shrugged. “I… I guess so.”  
“When they kidnapped you, why didn’t the just kill you? What happened?”

Melanie took a deep breath and Mikey watched her as she licked her lips.

“It’s a bit of a long story, but it’s not like we’re going anywhere soon are we? I met Gerard at a bar, and he kept buying me drinks. I didn’t even realise that he’d drugged me until he carried me out to his car and I passed out...”

With a look of disbelief already etched on his face, Mikey listened to the story of how Melanie had met Ray and Gerard, even managing to picture it as she went into detail.

 

*

  
_Slowly Melanie came to. It wasn’t immediate, but after a few seconds she became aware of three key things flooding her senses. First, and possibly most disturbing, was finding herself tied to a straight-backed heavy wooden chair, also gagged. The second was that she was chilled to the bone, her blouse and skirt clinging damply to her body. Third was the sight of Gerard standing a little bit away from her, leaning against a table holding a bucket in his hand and smiling._

_“Excellent, you’re awake. I was thinking I was going to have to throw another bucket of water over you.”_

_Gerard slunk slowly over to Melanie, stroking her cheek and pulling the gag from her mouth, surprisingly gently._

_“What the hell are you doing Gerard? Untie me and let me go. Joke’s over.”  
“Afraid I can’t do that my dear, the only way you’re leaving here is in a body bag when I’m done with you.”_

_Melanie sighed and shook her head, pulling against the ropes around her wrists to test how tightly they were tied. Gerard enjoyed watching her struggle; smirking and trying to decide whether or not to tell her who had hired them to kill her._

_“Body bag…?” Melanie stared up as if the words had only just registered. “Oh, for fuck’s sake! My ex put you up to this, didn’t he?”  
“If your ex is a guy named Gabe Saporta, then yes, he did. Paid a pretty penny for your death too. Should we get started?”_

_Gerard walked back to the table and, after a moment’s consideration, picked up a large knife. Heading back, he displayed the blade, turning it slowly one way then the next to catch the glint in the dim light. Melanie rolled her eyes, unimpressed._

_“Really Gerard? You’re going to kill me with that. How? Stab me, slit my throat, my wrists?”  
“Might do all three,” he chuckled menacingly, waving the knife casually as if he were trying to decide how to make best use of it. “Haven’t really decided yet.”_

_Melanie merely laughed and shook her head once more._

_“Shut up! This isn’t fun for me if you’re laughing.” Gerard lowered the knife, his brow creased, confused at the disdain in her actions and tone. “I’m going to kill you, doesn’t that scare you?”  
“Considering I’m laughing, do you really think I’m scared? If you’re going to kill me, please just do it, Gee, you’re boring me now.”_

_Gerard scowled; this required a new, more direct, tactic._

_Settling himself astride Melanie in her lap Gerard held the knife threateningly to her throat, tilted up and barely grazing her neck so she could feel the cool of the deadly blade. Still smiling and holding Gerard’s gaze with her own, Melanie leaned forward a fraction of an inch. As Gerard’s eyes widened, Melanie’s eyes rolled back and she allowed a small whimper to slip through her lips as droplets of blood slid slowly down her neck._

_“So, what now, Gerard?” she taunted, relishing the power she knew she had over him._

_**Fuck! What was this? Gerard thought. This isn’t right. I gotta pull this back!** _

_“Do you have any idea how many people I’ve killed little girl? How many people I’ve had in this exact position? All I have to do is stab you in your pretty throat with this knife and you’d be dead.”  
“Well, stop talking about it and do it then! I’m not afraid of you. You’re not even a little bit scary, Gee,” she mocked scornfully. “God, I bet you’d be so submissive in bed, wouldn’t you baby? The things I’d do to you… Well, are you going to let me, Gee? Would you be a good boy and get on your knees for me?”_

_Melanie bit her lip seductively, she could feel that her words are getting to her captor. Just like she could feel his squirming discomfort that told her he was getting hard, purely from the way she was talking._

_The knife was all but forgotten now, almost dropped to the floor beside them. Gerard swallowed hard, willing his cock to stop being so goddamn interested in what the bitch was saying, but he knew it was pointless. Melanie was right, if he hadn’t been hired to kill her, he would have bedded her by now and allowed her to do whatever she wanted to him._

_“Yes…”_

_Gerard replied quietly, closing his eyes and dipping his head slightly to avoid Melanie’s inevitable smirk. He knew she’d won, he didn’t have to see it._

_“Yes what? You’re already starting on shaky ground here, baby. Now, be a good boy and untie me. I get what I want, you get what you want. Everyone’s happy.”_  
“I… I can’t. I want to let you go Melanie, really, I do. But I can’t, I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t think I won’t punish you for that, Gerard,” she replied sternly.  
“I know,” he replied biting his lip as he slid from her lap, the bulge in his jeans indicating that the concept was not unwelcome.

_Kissing Melanie softly, Gerard lifted the knife once more and pressed the tip of the knife into her throat a little harder before leaving the small room. Even he knew that it was a half-hearted attempt to save face in front of their captive, but all he could do was sigh in defeat. Why did defeat have to feel so damn good? Cleaning the knife before putting it back in its sheath, he headed back upstairs. As if one humiliation wasn’t bad enough, now he had to face Ray._

_“You don’t have nearly enough blood on you to have slit her throat like we were supposed to.”  
“I couldn’t do it, Ray. You’re going to have to torture her first. She isn’t scared of me. Wants me to kill her… amongst other things.”_

_Ray rolled his eyes – it only took one discreet glance to see what had happened. Getting to his feet, Ray removed his black, button down shirt and placed it over the back of one of the dining room chairs._

_“Gee, what did I say to you before we started this one?” Ray admonished gently._  
_“Don’t get to know her first,” Gerard replied meekly._  
“And why did I say that?” Ray sighed.  
“Because I… she…” Gerard looked down. “Because I’d like her,” he almost mumbled.  
“And what did Gabe tell us about her?”  
“That she manipulates people,” Gerard looked up at his friend. “But it’s not like that!”  
“Don’t worry about it, Gerard,” Ray nodded kindly. He got the impression that it was exactly like that. “I’ll handle it, she won’t manipulate me. Can you call the client and tell him he’s gonna owe us another $2000?”  
“Sure thing, thanks, Ray,” Gerard smiled gratefully.  
“Don’t sweat it Gee, I got this.”

_*_

_Melanie raised her head as once again the door to the basement opened. She smiled with interest as a different man descended the stairs – this one she hadn’t met. Regarding him with a cool appraising stare as he approached, she weighed him up._

_**Quiet but confident. Good body; works out but not obsessive. Handsome, but not as obvious as Gerard. Perhaps not as confident about that aspect? Hmm, yes, I know what to do with you.** _

_Before Ray had even reached the last step, she was smirking at him. Ray suddenly understood how she had managed to unsettle Gerard – there was something about her that was different to anyone they had ever been hired to torture and kill before._

_“So,” Melanie cocked her head to one side, “the pretty boy got scared and sent his big tough friend to deal with me, hmm?”_

_She leaned forward as far as the ropes would allow and, tilting her head back coyly, used the damp chiffon of her blouse that clung to her breasts to good effect._

_“What are you going to do with me?”_

_Ray halted in his tracks; Gabe was not exaggerating._

_“I have a different speciality,” he replied, trying hard to feign nonchalance as he moved to the table and unrolled the large bundle of wrapped cloth he had been carrying.  
“I don’t doubt that for a moment,” she teased, licking her lips slowly._

_Shaking off her reply, Ray continued examining the contents now spread out on the table. Selecting a circle of steel, he nodded to himself. As he turned, he saw her sitting there with an amused expression settled comfortably on her face. She didn’t appear to be faking this at all – she seemed genuinely unphased._

_“Decisive, I see,” she greeted him as he walked over. “I like a man who knows what he wants.”_  
“You’re not going to like me after I’ve finished with you,” he replied coldly.  
“Do you practice your speeches?” she asked with a chuckle. “I’m guessing you don’t get much feedback, as a rule.”

_Ray’s brow creased in a strange mixture of frustration and confusion._

_“Honey,” she continued, “if you’ve scared people in the past, you’ve been damn lucky, because it’s not anything you’re actually doing.”_

_Ignoring the words, Ray snapped the thick metal collar firmly around her neck. She merely looked up expectantly._

_“I presume this is for or does something?” she asked after a brief pause._

_Ray was starting to feel sympathy for Gerard, there was no way he could have dealt with this. Even he was starting to doubt himself!_

_“You seem pretty keen to find out,” he snapped. “Why don’t we do just that?”  
“Ooh, testy,” She grinned._

_Leaning forward, Ray adjusted a small screw sitting near the lock. As he turned it slowly, small needle-sharp steel spikes began to emerge on the inside of the collar. Almost immediately all six spikes pierced her neck, drawing blood as they extended. Melanie inhaled deeply as she felt the trickles of blood begin to ooze out beneath the cold steel._

_“More!” she begged, her eyes almost rolling back._

_Ray pulled his hand away, surprised by the reaction; she was not supposed to be enjoying this!_

_“Spoilsport,” she pouted, as she opened her eyes. “What else have you got?”_  
“Don’t you worry your pretty head,” Ray sneered. “I have more than enough for you.”  
“Promises, promises!” she smirked again, lowering her eyes to his crotch once she was sure he was watching.

_Ray swallowed hard and turned, he cursed himself, a little too sharply to return to the table and hide his discomfort. Not now, not now! The voice in his mind screamed at him as he tried to think about baseball, his elderly Aunt Carina, changing the oil in his car – anything! Selecting a Spanish Tickler – a device worn on the hand with long curved claws razor sharp extending out – he turned a cruel smile towards her._

_“What have you got, muscles?” Melanie called. “You got something big for me over there?”_

_Ray allowed the device to clatter back to the table before snatching up a bit gag and heading back over to where she was seated, still tied to the chair._

_“I’ve had enough of you!”  
“If you were any good at this, you wouldn’t have to gag me!” she snapped. “So just man up and shut me up by making me scream, if you can. Don’t be such a fucking coward!”_

_Melanie’s head jerked to the right as Ray’s hand stung her cheek. Pulling it back to face him, she ran her tip of her tongue out to the edge of her lip and licked off the blood that was beginning to trickle._

_It frustrated him more than anything else. He prided himself on delivering his craft with a cold, stern and cruel approach. The horrifying pressed up against his unruffled manner was often enough to pour terror into the hearts of his victims. Yet still she smiled calmly up._

_“Mmm, I was right, you do work out,” she teased. “You know if you really wanted to torture me, you should have just covered up.”_

_Ray scowled, and in that one expression, she knew she had assessed him accurately. Anyone, no matter how impressive, would start to doubt themselves when associating with someone as pretty as Gerard._

_“I think I’ll skip the preliminaries,” he growled._  
“Oh, please do, they’re not nearly as exciting as you think.”  
“I’m not interested in what you find exciting.”  
“Well, why don’t you run back upstairs and let the pretty one take over again? He was practically begging me!”  
“You want begging? See those chains on the wall?” he yelled. “All different lengths, all on a pulley system. I’m going to hurt you! Hurt you till it’s you that’s begging for Gerard to kill you.”  
“Ooh,” she pouted, allowing the word to draw out slowly. “They look,” she took in a deep sigh of pleasure, “tame.” She completed the sentence with a frosty stare.  
“Tame?” Ray cried indignant at the insult. “Do you know how many…”  
“Yes, yes…” she interrupted. “How many people you’ve tortured in here? Is that what you were going to say?” She shook her head. “It’s all a bit… well, child’s play, isn’t it?”

_Ray’s mouth fell open at the response. The way she was staring at him, so sure of herself. So damn cocky! He had never met anyone like her before._

_“Child’s play!” he gasped. “This is torture!”  
“Who for?” she smirked at the fury in his eyes._

_**Yes, get angry, that’s right.** _

_Her eyes brightened as he rushed towards her and pulling a small knife from a sheath at his belt, quickly cutting the ropes around her wrists and ankles before dragging her to the wall. Locking her wrists firmly in two of the manacles, he stood back, his breathing deep and fast._

_“What?” she purred. “Nothing for my ankles? Don’t you want me pinned? Helpless? Seriously, do I have to do this for you?”_

_Ray began to boil with anger and more than a little frustration. There was no point trying to deny it, she had already spotted that growing bulge in his pants._

_“Go ahead!” she pressed teasingly, as if reading his thoughts. “There’s nothing quite like angry sex, is there?” she pulled lightly on the chains. “I can’t stop you, can I?”_

_Rushing forward, Ray grasped the still damp blouse and ripped it open, eliciting a delighted gasp from Melanie._

_“What’s your name, muscles?” she sighed in his ear._  
“Ray,” he replied simply, moving in to grasp her hair and press his lips hard to her neck, moving his other hand lower, exploring her gently writhing body.  
“Well, Ray,” she whispered with a hot gravelly tone. “Why don’t you fuck me into next week? Then after that, you can take these chains off and I’ll show you how this operation should be run.”

_Ray moved his head back momentarily to look her in the eyes. He was intrigued, but he was too involved now to question. Moving back in to run his tongue over her breast, he murmured into her sending vibrations through her body._

_“I’m probably going to regret this.”  
“Ray, nobody regrets me,” she replied, tossing her head back in pleasure as Ray removed her skirt as roughly as her blouse._

 

*

By now Mikey’s mouth had fallen open and his eyes almost glazed.

“Naturally I had Gabe killed after Ray and I had become better acquainted, and then I joined this motley crew. We really are the best in the business at what we do. You should be honoured, Mikey.”

Melanie got to her feet and took another step towards Mikey, but turned at the sound of Ray’s voice.

“I seem to remember you couldn’t walk right for a week when I was through with you.”

Keeping back until she had finished, Ray and Gerard had come in about halfway through Melanie telling her story to Mikey, twin smirks on their faces at the look of horror on his face. Melanie grabbed Ray’s shoulders and pulled him down and kissed him hard.

“I seem to remember baby Gee paid for that too, didn’t you?”

Melanie untangled from Ray and walked over to Gerard and stroked his cheek with her thumb as he whimpered at the memory.

“You’re in this with them?! But… you… you told me…”

Melanie laughed, high and cold as she turned on Mikey, jabbing him in the stomach with the Taser and making him scream. Grabbing a handful of his hair she forced his head up.

“Oh sweetheart, you don’t now the half of it.”

Backhanding him, Melanie let Mikey’s head drop and sauntered back over to Gerard and grabbed his hair as she had Mikey; he bit his lip to keep the whimper in.

“Next door, five minutes. Got it?” she breathed over Gerard’s lips and he nodded, as much as he could with her hand in his hair. “Good boy.” With one last look over at Mikey, Gerard exited the basement, leaving Mikey alone with Melanie and Ray.

Walking over to Mikey, Ray inspected how tight the shackles were around his wrists, deciding that they needed to be tighter.

“You didn’t do these up very tight, Mel.”

Melanie interlaced her fingers on Ray’s shoulder and rested her chin atop her hands.

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted to do with him so I figured leaving them loose was best. You see, Mikey, you might see yourself as a sweet little innocent, but my friend, Ray here, he doesn't like to be fucked with,” she smiled patting Mikey's cheek lightly, laughing cruelly as he pulled his head away.  
“Well, that's not strictly true,” Ray chuckled, raising an appreciative laugh from Melanie.  
“Ah, well, if only he had,” she grinned at Ray before turning a cold stare toward Mikey and talking almost as one might speak to an infant. “You wouldn't be in this pickle, would you, babes? No, you thought it was acceptable to lead him on then just leave. Don't you think that's rude?”

Even though Mikey himself had recently come to the same conclusion only minutes before his kidnapping, there was no way he was going to admit it now.

“I have the right to say no!” Mikey summoned all his defiance and fed it into the angry statement, pulling hard on the shackles in bitter frustration.  
“Ooh,” Mel pouted, running a finger down his shirt. “Feisty! I do prefer it when they take time to break.”  
“You sick bitch!” Mikey yelled. “I wo...”

Doubling over as far as the chains would allow and gasping for breath as Ray forced the Taser into his abdomen once more sending a hundred thousand volts through his already aching muscles.

“That's not the way to speak to a lady,” Ray growled, his face now close to Mikey's, his eyes narrowing as he saw Mikey about to reply. “I think he needs some additional encouragement to stay in line.”  
“You know I’m far from a ‘lady’ Ray, but thank you. Now,” Melanie began, running a hand through Mikey's hair before grabbing a handful and pulling it back. “I hear you've got a little friend too and apparently, he wasn't very polite either.”

Mikey's eyes widened, his lips parting nervously.

“That's right,” Ray sneered. “The hobbit that practically drooled over Gerard!”  
“Don't you dare!” Mikey gasped.  
“What do you think, Ray?” Melanie's grin broadened. “It's been a while since we played doubles.”

Ray merely smirked in reply; the expression of terror on Mikey's face was delicious.

“You go have fun with Gee, Mel. It looks like we've scared this one enough for one day.” He paused, waiting for Mikey to sag slightly with relief. Looking him directly in the eyes, Ray continued: “Now it's time to hurt you.”  
“Have fun, Ray!” Melanie called, waving as she headed out. “And don't do anything I wouldn't do!”

Ray gave Mikey a sly smile. “Well, that just left the field wide open! Let's get going, shall we?”

Reaching up, Ray turned the ratchet on the shackles several notches, enjoying the cry of shock and pain it pulled from the younger man as they closed tightly around his wrists.

*

After leaving Ray to play with Mikey in the basement, Melanie headed back upstairs to her room to change. The whole sweet and innocent thing worked when she was playing the victim, but it made her uncomfortable and she tried as hard as she could to only wear outfits like that when she had to. Melanie changed into her favourite black, wet-look leather corset. It zipped up at the front with lacing at the back and had purple ribbon crossing over across the zip to hide it. To complete the outfit, she paired it with the matching black, high-waisted, pleated skirt. One of Melanie’s favourite aspects about dominating Gerard was that not only was she five years younger than he was, but also about four inches shorter.

Happier now with the clothes she was wearing, Melanie headed back downstairs to Gerard in her dungeon. With the thigh high, suede boots she was wearing, her entrance was silent and Gerard hadn’t heard her come in. He was on his knees by the bed when she went in and that made her smile, however, it was time for business, not for play.

“Mr Way.”

Melanie began. Gerard’s head shot up when he was called Mr Way, he knew that that meant business. He almost drooled as he saw what Melanie was wearing, it was her favourite outfit to wear when they had sessions. The black leather of her corset contoured perfect to Melanie’s skin and clung to her in all the right places.

“I have your schedule for the day. You have 10 p.m. surveillance on client one at the Circe Club, 11.30 p.m. client termination at the agreed venue, 1 a.m. naked and on your knees in here and 3 a.m., you’re taking a call from a prospect.”  
“Umm, 3 a.m.? Are you sure? That won’t give us much time?”  
“Did I say I’d be done with you?” Melanie raised an eyebrow.

Gerard swallowed hard – this was going to be a difficult phone call! When the realisation dawned on Gerard’s face, Melanie smirked happily, it was fun messing with him and setting him challenges at which he was less than likely to succeed.

“Melanie?”  
“Yes, Gee Baby?”

Gerard had to choose his words carefully, lying to Melanie was never a good idea so it was always best to keep it simple.

“I went to Frank & Mikey’s last night after we grabbed him. I had to appear to Frank as the concerned big brother and all that. I ended up being there all night, we were talking and had a few drinks so I didn’t get much sleep last night. I want to be prepared for tonight so I can be good for you, will you keep Ray off my back this afternoon so I can sleep for a while? Please?”

“Sure babe, if you think it’s what you need to behave yourself tonight. When you wake up I want you to tell me everything you and Frank talked about. We may need to use it as leverage later. I’m proud of you though.”

Melanie stepped closer to Gerard and guided his hands to her ass and kissed him hard, running her hands through his hair.

“Thank you, Melanie.”

“You’re welcome. Now go on, go get some rest. I’ll go talk to Ray.”

Gerard smiled, sweetly kissing Melanie’s forehead before leaving the room. Frowning slightly as she watched him leave, Melanie wasn’t entirely convinced that Gerard was telling her the truth. Neither was she sure why she doubted him. Perhaps it was years of domination helping her to sense when he was being less than truthful? She knew without doubt, however, that she would get it out of him, one way or another.

*

Just over two hours later and after a short break, Ray cracked his knuckles; if there was one thing he really appreciated, it was a blank canvas. He had watched closely on the video feed for roughly twenty minutes – just long enough to enjoy a beer and a snack. He didn’t like working on an empty stomach, but equally, feeling full or bloated was to be avoided due to the potential risk of tiredness or loss of concentration. He certainly didn’t want to accidentally kill a victim and above all, he needed to be sure that he personally enjoyed himself. It wasn’t all about the money.

Picking up a bottle of water, he headed back downstairs to the dungeon. Opening the door, he heard an audible gasp from Mikey and, despite being left blindfolded, he tried to turn his head in the direction of the sound.

Walking into the grim, stone-walled room. Along one wall various hooks and shelves housed a selection of chains, shackles, ropes, locks, knives, blades and an assortment of torture implements, some freestanding – often based on medieval equipment. Currently, Mikey was sitting, literally locked into a metal chair bolted to the floor. The front legs of the chair and the armrests were wide and deep to accommodate a series of adjustable and positionable clasps capable of fastening firmly around a man’s arms and legs. Each locked with two simple but secure snap clips for easy access, but escape from them was impossible.

“What is it, I wonder, that you’re most afraid of?” Ray began conversationally.  
“What do you want?” Mikey replied nervously.  
“You really want to know?”

Mikey wasn’t sure; the voice sounded so threatening. Licking his dry lips, Mikey didn’t answer, couldn’t answer even if he knew what he wanted to say. Without waiting for a reply, Ray pulled the blindfold from Mikey’s eyes. Blinking a few times in the dim light, Mikey looked up, fearful, uncertain and quiet. This was Gerard’s friend. It was the man who had rescued him from the handsy guy in the club. The man who had wanted to take him home. Was this why? Is this what he had wanted to do? Melanie had suggested otherwise, but then she had claimed to be a victim too. How could he trust a word she said?

Then, Ray saw it in his eyes – realisation dawned.

Gerard had been there only minutes ago. Gerard had been there when he was abducted. He had laughed at him as he had succumbed to the chloroform. Gerard had helped Ray kidnap him and he had been told quite categorically that they tortured and murdered for a living.

Mikey couldn’t be certain how involved Gerard was willing to be. He might not torture him and he prayed he wouldn’t kill him, but it seemed more than reasonable to assume that neither would he help him. Closing his eyes, he had never felt so helpless and alone.

Ray smiled; Mikey had almost crumbled in front of him as he remembered what had happened and the implications. It was up to him now to capitalise on that and keep him from regaining any hope.

“Normally, I get a commission from someone who pays me to do a job and I’ll do whatever I’m paid to do and I do it well. So, someone pays for two days of torture, I’ll provide two days of torture, then hand whoever it is over to your brother who finishes the job.”

Ray smirked as Mikey flinched at the words.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but it’s a job, you know? A service I’m paid for. So, when something like this opportunity comes along and I can get back to torturing just for the love of it, where there’s no time schedule, no deadlines, no contract, well, it makes it all worthwhile again.”  
“You… you love this?” Mikey’s voice caught breathlessly in his throat.  
“Oh, I’m not the only one,” Ray grinned broadly.  
“Ge…Gerard?”  
“Oh, yes, he loves his work too. He’s quite psychologically tormenting when he kills. Me? I’m more physical. I like to be able to see the pain I’m inflicting. Gerard, he likes to feel it.”  
“No,” Mikey shook his head emphatically.

It was true, he had hated his brother for the issue over his boyfriend, but he refused to believe that Gerard was a murderer.

“Yes,” Ray smirked, enjoying crushing Mikey’s spirit before he had even laid a finger on him.

Mikey looked down, silent tears spilling over his cheeks, simply unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

“Do you know where he is right now?” Ray smiled, knowing he could scare the boy even more.

Mikey shook his head lightly.

“He’s at your house, playing the concerned brother, making sure your annoying little friend thinks he’s doing everything he can to track you down. If he doesn’t believe him, he’s going to kill him.”  
“Frank? No… no!”

Mikey shook his head, lightly at first, but as the smirk on Ray’s face grew, it became more vigorous. His whole body shook, his fists clenching as he pulled and thrashed against the chair’s built-in restraints. Screaming in frustration, he was unable to break free and merely hurt both his wrists and ankles on the edges of the metal clasps holding him in place.

“And, of course now, I get to enjoy myself.”  
“What? Because he’s out? Because he can’t stop you?” Mikey raged, still blindly refusing to believe that Gerard was a part of this.

Ray smiled cruelly before leaning in close to Mikey’s face.

“Stop me? He asked me not to start without him!” he laughed at the look of shock on Mikey’s face. “But I got bored waiting. Who knows, maybe he’ll be back soon? Perhaps he’s killed Frank already?”

Mikey looked away, desperate to believe he was still alive and well. Desperate to believe that Gerard wasn’t a murderer. He felt sick to his stomach and didn’t even notice that Ray had moved away. Looking up he now saw that Ray was standing back, a small remote control in his hand.

“No, I don’t want you to break your teeth,” he mused. “Well, not right now anyway.”

Mikey’s brow creased in confusion and he watched as Ray moved to the back of the room and retrieved something from a cabinet. Mikey couldn’t see what it was as Ray returned directly behind him. He only realised at the last moment as an oversized rubber bit gag was pulled harshly into his mouth and fastened tightly at the back. Even before Ray had returned to stand in front of Mikey, he was pressing a sequence of buttons on the remote and the younger man was shaking violently as electricity coursed through the chair into every muscle, and nerve. The bit gag, forcing his mouth open, protected his teeth but it seemed that every other part of his body was being shaken violently.

Stopping the current, Ray stared down at his victim. Mikey’s head hung low and he was breathing hard and erratically. Another sequence of buttons caused Mikey’s head to be thrown back as his body jerked in the chair. At the end of it, Mikey was gasping for breath, squirming lightly and a weak moan escaped his lips.

Ray frowned. Grabbing Mikey’s hair, he pulled his head back up and watched as the younger man’s eyes rolled in their sockets. There was something about the reaction that just didn’t seem right. Looking down, Ray’s frown deepened.

“What the hell? Do you Ways have some sort of genetic disposition for loving pain?”

Ray pushed his head back in disgust; he had to find something that would genuinely scare the boy. All he was doing was pleasing him and that would not do at all.

“Okay,” Ray snapped. “Let’s see if you like this.”

Pressing another button on the remote set another sequence in motion. This time a series of small needle-like spikes began to emerge from the chair pressing into Mikey’s arms, legs, back and buttocks. Gasping in pain, he quickly realised that as he was impaled, the more he struggled against the pain the more it hurt. Each needle probably pierced him by no more than one inch, probably less, but it was enough to cause considerable pain and discomfort. It was, he discovered, impossible to remain absolutely still and any movement intensified his agony.

“Now I have your attention!” Ray snapped angrily. “Let’s see what you make of this.”

Clamping what seemed to be two tiny vices onto Mikey’s hands so that the two sides pressed into the centre of his palm and the back of his hand, Ray began to turn the tightening screw slowly. He delighted in watching Mikey’s fingers stretch out, desperate to take the pressure off the vice closing on the delicate bones and tendons. Even more so when Mikey tried to pull away as an automatic but excruciatingly painful response as the needles tore at his skin. Alternately crying out, screwing up his face and biting his lip almost to the point of bleeding, Mikey brought a broad smile to Ray’s face.

“Maybe I’ll leave you like that for now?” Ray sneered tightening the screws a little more. “I’ll come back when you’re less resistant. Don’t forget, Mikey, I’m not on a schedule here, and I can keep you alive and in a lot of pain for a very, very long time.”

Mikey's head shot up at the sound of the dungeon door opening again and Ray turned to see Melanie poking her head around the door.

“Mind if watch, darling?” Melanie smirked as Mikey physically shuddered at the sound of her voice.  
“Of course not, honey,” Ray called back, waving her in. “Come in. But I was just about to leave to wear him down for a while.”  
“Well, it’s just that I’ve been following on the cameras upstairs,” she grinned, “and you’ve been getting me so damn hot just watching.”  
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Ray greeted her with a long passionate kiss.  
“Enjoying it?” she laughed. “Ray, honey, watching you, I’m having far too much fun!”  
Ray smirked appreciatively. “Well, I do approve of too much fun and I’m particularly glad that it’s me that encourages it.”  
“You sick fucks!” Mikey blurted, regretting it immediately.

Ray turned an angry glare towards his helpless victim.

“Oh, I think I’ve been too easy on you.”  
“Ray,” Melanie began sweetly as she slipped a chunky set of knuckle dusters onto each hand, “may I?”  
“Be my guest, sweetie,” Ray replied with a sweeping arm gesture toward Mikey.  
“This is going to hurt me more than it’ll hurt you,” Melanie initially frowned before allowing loud mocking laughter to burst out. “No, reverse that.”

Swinging a heavy blow to Mikey’s cheek and Jaw, even the first punch drew blood, splitting his lower lip in the process and wrenching his head to the right. Additionally, the blow forced movement in the chair and each of the needles tore at him just a little more.

Mikey’s eyes screwed up in agony as blow after blow rained on him until finally, Ray stopped her by catching her arm in mid-swing.

“No,” he warned, “don’t let him go unconscious. We want him to feel this, after all.”  
“Let’s go upstairs,” Melanie slipped off the knuckle dusters and wrapped her arms around Ray. “There’s something else I want to feel.”

Ray chuckled; Mikey now almost forgotten.

“We’ll have to lock the door.”  
“He’s not going anywhere,” Mel replied confused at the response.  
“No,” Ray laughed. “We don’t want Gee walking in on us when he gets home.”  
“Oh!” Melanie laughed. “Well, he has plenty to keep himself busy here if he wants something to do!”

The pair left, leaving Mikey bleeding, aching and still impaled on the numerous needles. Lowering his head, he had no desire to move, never mind ability. Gerard, his brother, had knowingly delivered him to be tortured and very possibly intended to kill him himself. All of this alone would be enough to crush him but his overwhelming concern right now was for Frank. Gerard was with him right now. Was he killing him? Was his own brother murdering his best friend?


	5. The Only Hope For Me Is You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey manages to press Melanie's buttons and Gerard has a big night out

Once Ray and Melanie were finished, she left him sleeping peacefully and went back to her own room again to change. Melanie put the blue dress she’d been wearing previously back on and smirked at the actual finger bruises around her throat, there’d be no need to do them with make-up this time. She would have to be careful though, if Gerard saw them, she and Ray would be in trouble.  
She tiptoed down to Ray’s dungeon and opened the door as quietly as possible but Mikey still heard it. Mikey lifted his head and grunted, wincing a little when he shifted in the torture chair, forcing the spikes to cut him again.

“What do you want?”  
“I’m sorry about before Mikey, and for lying to you. Gerard & Ray... they make me be that way… I… I told you what happens when I don’t do what they say.”

Melanie started unstrapping Mikey from the chair and helped him to his feet, disguising the smirk on her face as a grimace at the state of the back of his arms, knowing that it was what his back, legs and ass would also look like. She helped Mikey remove the vices from his hands and frowned at the bruises across his knuckles.

“Come on, I’ll clean you up. Don’t want any of the cuts to get infected or anything.”

Surprised by her sudden gentleness Mikey let Melanie lead him slowly across the hall, each step was agony and all the while he was unaware that she was merely taking him into her dungeon. Once inside, she helped him sit on the edge of the plush looking four-poster bed in the centre of the room.

“What’s this room used for, Melanie? It looks um…it looks like a sex dungeon.”

Melanie didn’t answer but just smiled nervously, turning her back on him and busying herself with getting the equipment she needed to clean him up. She made sure that Mikey didn’t hear when she locked the door, sliding the bolt across and pocketing the key, just in case he got any ideas about escaping. Melanie returned to Mikey’s side and placed a small bowl of warm water and a bottle of iodine on the table beside the bed and stood between his legs. Mikey leant back on his elbows and tried to keep the sounds of pain inside as Melanie cleaned the cuts and blood from his face.

“You’re going to help me get out of here now, right Melanie?”

He asked her quietly when she was finished cleaning his face and Melanie started laughing, nervously and quietly to begin with but it turned into a loud cackle as she swung a fist towards Mikey’s face.

“Of course not! Jesus, you really are as stupid as you look aren’t you?”

Melanie punched him again and then grabbed a handful of Mikey’s hair and licked his cheek where she’d cut him open with her ring. Keeping her grip on his hair, Melanie straddled Mikey and knocked him off balance, settling herself in his lap.

“You’re pretty though, I can see why my boyfriend wanted to fuck you.”

Still weak from his treatment from Ray in the chair and with his hands bruised and swollen from the vices Mikey’s attempt at getting Melanie off him was feeble and she just smiled, pulling a small knife from the pocket of her dress and holding it against his throat.

“I’d stop squirming so much if I were you, baby cakes. This blade is quite sharp and I have it resting very close to your carotid artery. I don’t want to slip and accidentally kill you, well, not yet anyway, Ray won’t like it if I do that without him here, neither will Gee.”  
“Why are you doing this, Melanie?”  
“Well, if even your own brother wants you dead, how are you so surprised about me?”

Mikey blocked out the comment; he was sure that Melanie just being cruel. He didn’t want to believe that Gerard hated him enough to want him dead. As much as he himself hated his brother, there was never any intent to hurt him, let alone kill him. He would have to be a psychopath to want that. He paled as he thought about Ray and Melanie torturing him for pleasure and at the very least, Gerard was allowing it. He clung to the idea that there was a reason for that. There had to be. Perhaps they had threatened Gerard? He was desperate for the reason not to be that his brother was a psychopath.

“Ray, I understand, he wants me to suffer for rejecting him,” he pressed. “But why do you want to hurt me? Shouldn’t you want to hurt Ray for almost cheating on you with me?”

Melanie flinched a little, slicing across Mikey’s collarbone before forcing the blade back against his throat.

“Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about and you don’t know anything about me and Ray!”

Mikey’s eyes widened in surprise at her sudden outburst; he had hit a nerve, but he felt the jab in his arm from Melanie’s tranquilliser ring and knew that it had got him nowhere but back into unconsciousness. All he could do was hope that whatever thoughts his comment had brought up for her, that he wouldn’t be the one to pay for them.

Breathing heavily to calm herself, Melanie waited for him to pass out before chaining him spreadeagled to the bed. Needing to refocus herself once Mikey was safely chained up again and not going anywhere, Melanie headed upstairs to get a drink and as far away from Mikey as she could before she lost her temper completely and killed him.

*

Ray was still in bed when Melanie got upstairs and with a determined smile she headed into his bedroom, climbed on top of and started kissing him. There wasn’t anything you could point out as being different, but there was a definite sense of aggression in her kisses; even Melanie knew she was trying to prove a point, if not to Mikey then at least to herself.

“Um, Melanie, honey, what are you doing?” Ray asked sleepily as he woke.  
“What does it look like I’m doing?”

Melanie tried to kiss Ray again but he held her back and sat up, pushing her aside and got out of bed.

“I’m not in the mood, Mel, and Gee is home, what if he comes in and catches us?”  
“I don’t give a fuck, screw Gee, I’ll deal with him if it happens.”

Melanie was being petulant and she knew it, but Mikey’s words got to her. Was he right? Shouldn’t she be pissed at Ray for trying to get with Mikey in the first place? Upon seeing the look on her face Ray sighed and ran a hand through his hair but kissed Melanie anyway to placate her but she pushed him away.

“No, it’s too late now, you’re not in the mood, you don’t want to.”  
“Don’t be such a fucking child, Melanie.”

Ray chided and Melanie furrowed her eyebrows as she pushed passed Ray and stormed down to the kitchen.

“I am NOT a fucking child, Ray! I just don’t understand why you were so angry that Mikey turned you down. Am I not enough for you anymore? Is that it?”

Ray looked horrified at the implication and crowded Melanie up against the fridge, one hand rested on her hip, and tipped her face up with the other. He noted that she’d changed back into the blue dress and had blood under her fingernails. She’d been with Mikey, he must have said something to set her off.

“That is not what this is and you know it. Melanie, I love you. But I told you, I’m not going to stand for being turned down just because I know Gee. That’s all this is, I promise.”  
“Then why aren’t you angry with Gee?” Melanie snapped. “This is more his fault than anything, isn’t it?”

Ray scowled and looked away, still holding her firmly.

“Well?” she pressed aggressively, demanding an explanation.  
“You really want to know?” he sighed. “All right, I am angry at Gee! Too often I get turned down because of his pretty face and I find someone who’s actually interested in me and I get turned down again just because I know Gee! Do you understand how frustrating that is? But, I can’t be angry with Gee, can I? We have a business, there has to be absolute trust. Besides, he’s letting me kill his brother, Mel. How can I be angry with him?”

Melanie sighed, she knew that she was in the wrong but when Ray called her a child it set her off. It didn’t help that she had Mikey’s words playing in her mind either, he was going to suffer for what he said.

“I’m sorry, Ray, I love you too. It was just something that Mikey said and it put doubt in my head. There’s something about him that seems to be able to press all our buttons.”  
“It’s called innocence, honey. He has bucket loads of it. In other circumstances it would be adorable.”  
“Hmm, maybe, but don’t worry, I’m going to make him pay for it.”  
“I don’t doubt that for a moment, my love. Go, have fun, just don’t kill him yet.”

Ray kissed Melanie’s forehead and gave her a little push towards the basement and her dungeon. Smiling in happy anticipation, she practically skipped downstairs.

*

Mikey was still unconscious when Melanie got back downstairs and she smirked happily to herself as it gave her time to set up everything she needed to torture him with. Some twenty gauge needles, paraben wax candles, her favourite leather whip and a scalpel. Mikey still wasn’t awake when Melanie was finished setting up and she huffed impatiently. Unlike Ray, Melanie wasn’t very patient when it came to waiting for her victims to be conscious. A smile crept onto Melanie’s face as she remembered something she owned that would assist her with getting Mikey to wake up and she retrieved it from a drawer. Securing the collar tightly around Mikey’s neck, Melanie straddled him and bit her lip, slowly counting to five in her head and then pushed the button on the remote control, delivering an electric shock that quickly Mikey into consciousness.

“Nap time is over Mikey, it’s play time now.”

The first things that Mikey became aware of were the chains holding him to the bed followed closely by something fastened tightly around his neck. Every time he woke up, or was even disturbed as he had been earlier, he was dragged back to the terrible reality of the situation. Having already been told that Gee wanted him dead, he had felt lost and alone. The only consolation he felt was that he knew Frank would have contacted the police by now.

Of course, he was unaware that Gerard had seen to it that no police were involved at all. Mikey was truly alone.

“What…what are you going to do to me? Did you…am I wearing a dog collar?”

Mikey struggled against his restraints and tried to pull free and Melanie just smiled mischievously at him and waited for him to stop struggling and look at her.

“Yes, it’s a training collar. The voltage I used to wake you up? It’s the lowest, I can make it hurt more if I want too. Are you going to be a good boy for me Little Way?”  
“You didn’t answer my question. What are you going to do to me?”

Instead of answering, Melanie shocked Mikey again, giggling at the pained gasp that slipped past his lips. Melanie tucked the remote control into her pocket and pulled her knife back out, holding it once again up against Mikey’s throat. She leaned over him, supporting herself with her free hand and leant down so she could talk in his ear. Mikey tried to turn away from Melanie put she pushed the knife harder against his throat so if he moved, he’d cut himself; he had no choice but to stay still.

“Are you familiar with the concept ‘forewarned is forearmed’ Little Way?”  
“Y…yes.”

Mikey managed to stutter out and cringed as he felt Melanie smile against his neck and then softly kissed him there.

“Well then, you’ll know why I’m not going to tell you what I’m planning on doing to you. I hope you aren’t too attached to this shirt, baby cakes.”

Melanie told him and Mikey raised a questioning eyebrow and squirmed when she ran her hands lightly up and down his sides.

“It’s currently in the way and I really don’t want to have to untie you to get it off of you. Now hold still, I don’t want to cut you… well, not yet anyway.”

Smiling as she did so, Melanie used the knife to slice Mikey’s shirt down the centre and pushed it off of him the rest of the way, exposing his pretty, pale chest and traced his sternum with her tongue.

“You don’t really look much like your brother, Mikey, similar eyes and bone structure. You’re prettier than Gee though. But, unlike you my dear, sweet, innocent Little Way, Gee gets off on it when I beat him up. Pathetic, isn’t it? Enough talk, I think it’s time we had some fun, so much of you is exposed right now though, I have no idea where I’m going to start! So much unmarked skin to play with. Let’s see if I can’t make you scream, make you beg me to stop.”  
“I’m sure you’re no worse than Ray, sweetie, so do your worst.”

Mikey stated defiantly and Melanie just laughed, sending another shock through Mikey’s system as she did so.

“You’re all so fucking stupid. The last guy Ray, Gee and I dealt with said the same thing to me just before I carved my name into his chest with a scalpel. Ray learned half of the things he does from me, and practises other things on me so I can tell him how to do it better. Remember when I told you that Ray was the one to watch out for?”

Mikey nodded, the realisation that he was completely and utterly screwed beginning to creep onto his face.

“The one to watch out for is me. We all love what we do but I’m the worst of the three of us, I teach Ray torture techniques and I encourage Gee in his murderous rages.”  
“But… why? Why do you enjoy it so much?”

Melanie didn’t answer but simply picked up one of the candles she had on the table and lit it and Mikey raised an eyebrow questioningly. Slowly starting to drip the wax on Mikey’s chest in small circles around his nipples, Melanie furrowed her eyebrows; from the way he bit his lip and his eyes were fluttering he seemed to be enjoying what she was doing. The thought was confirmed when Melanie felt him growing hard beneath her.

“Or maybe I’m wrong, maybe you do get off on it when I hurt you, too. Is that what’s happening here? I can feel that you’re hard from this, baby cakes.”

Melanie blew the candle out and waited for Mikey to answer her, watching the way his eyes darted nervously around the room until they settled on the door.

“What if,” Mikey swallowed hard. “What if I joined you too? Like you did?”  
Melanie smiled sweetly, playing along for now. “You’d do that?”  
“Y…yeah.” Mikey nodded; the movements quick but slight. “It’d be good to work with Gerard.” He lied. “Sort of a family business?” He shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe you could teach me too?”

Melanie smiled at him coyly, resting her weight on her hands either side of Mikey’s head and kissed him. It took him a second to get over the shock but Mikey kissed her back, hoping it would help convince Melanie to let him go.

_Please believe me! Please believe me! Just long enough for me to escape._

“You want to join us?” Melanie asked as she pulled away from his lips and trailed her fingers across Mikey’s jaw and up his neck, digging her fingernails into his skin and pulling upwards as they caught on his jaw, pulling his head until their eyes met.  
“And after some of the things you’ve said to us, am I supposed to believe you? Do you think I’m so stupid that I can’t see through your adorable attempt to escape?” She snapped, once again forcing his head down angrily.  
“Well! Can you blame me?” He shouted in frustration, his brow creased.  
“Oh, I can blame you, Little Way.” She sneered. “But I’ll do more than that!”

The coldness of Melanie’s voice in those last six words made Mikey physically shudder and he slumped against the bed in defeat.

*

The Fabulous Kill Boys had two types of client and the only distinction they had was how they ended up. Client Type One hired them and Client Type Two usually ended up severely disfigured, dead or usually both. But how they handled either client before accepting a commission was almost exactly the same. _The Three Rs_ – Research, reconnaissance and remuneration. Essential in answering the basic questions of: Who are they? Are they who they say they are? Who do they know? What is their routine? Can they pay? To Gerard, Ray and Melanie, why someone wanted a job done was usually irrelevant. The only time it became an issue was if it would if it infringed on any mob activity. None of them would touch a client if it meant attracting that sort of attention.

The only difference to the _Three Rs_ in respect of Client Type Two, was that remuneration would be replaced with resistance. In effect, what were they capable of? Did they carry a weapon? Perhaps a skilled fighter? In short, nothing was left to chance.

Even client contact was minimal and, from their perspective at least, anonymous. The method of contact was discreet and passed on by word of mouth in the seamier areas of Belleville. A potential client would place an advertisement in the local newspaper requesting the services of Belleville Antiques in the valuation of a particular item of furniture or art. The item corresponded to the type of job required. Leaving contact details would allow the Fabulous Kill Boys to approach without the client being aware of them. In the rare event of a refusal, a reply would be posted in the newspaper stating that Belleville Antiques had no expertise in that area and they should seek help from somewhere else.

This evening, Gerard was seated in a high-backed leather bench in a comfortable booth, located at the far corner of the exclusive Circe Burlesque Club. There weren’t many burlesque clubs in Belleville, but at least this one had some class. Well, Gerard smiled to himself as he lit a cigarette, it was clean and had far fewer fights breaking out than the others. Normally, he wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this, but he was there to contact a client.

Gerard looked up as a shadow fell across him, which even in the already dim light was noticeable. Looking up, he saw a waitress wearing a red and black lacy basque, matching thong and fishnets sporting an obviously plastic smile and trying hard not to look bored.

“What can I get you, sir?” she drawled.  
“Umm,” Gerard glanced quickly through the cocktail menu. “A peach and lime daiquiri, please?” he replied, flashing a bright smile at her.

A combination of his polite request and his sexy smile brought a genuine look of delight to the waitress’s eyes and instantly, her fake smile broadened into a toothy grin.

“Yes, sir,” she almost giggled as she headed for the bar.

Gerard settled back into the seat. He knew that the waitresses in these sorts of clubs were often groped and treated poorly in other ways. He also knew he was handsome and that his flirty smile and basic human kindness had probably just made her night. He considered the incongruity of his attitude when compared to his job. He knew that if the client were to pay him to kill this woman, he would cheerfully do just that, but otherwise he would respect her. Some might call him a psychopath and perhaps he was? He didn’t care. He gave a small self-deprecating laugh; not caring was probably proof in itself.

This was the fourth time he had seen the client. The first three occasions where to take photographs, follow, discover his routine, his job, his interests and acquaintances. Ray, who was much better with computer hacking, had already established his ability to pay. It was time to make contact.

As the waitress returned with his daiquiri, Gerard had already spotted his client seated at another table.

“Thanks,” he beamed again, slipping a twenty into her hand.  
“Oh, you want the cheque?” she asked with surprise.  
“No, that’s for you. I want you to give him a message,” he added pointing to a tall slim man with dark hair.  
“What’s the message?” she asked with a slight tilt of her head.  
“Please tell him that if he wants to discuss his painting, he should join me here.”  
“Oh, he’s an artist?” she sounded impressed.  
“Antiques,” Gerard shrugged. “I may be in the market.”  
“Well, sweetie,” she replied tucking the bill into the left cup of her basque, “if you’re in the market for anything else, I get off at two.”  
Gerard smirked. “I’ll bear it in mind.”

Gerard watched chuckling quietly as she walked away with an exaggerated swing of her hips. Within moments, the man had turned in his seat and was hovering hesitantly half risen from his seat as Gerard merely stared, giving nothing away.

Finally looking down and raising his drink, Gerard waited, certain that the young man was on his way.

“Hi, I’m Brendon,” he introduced himself.  
“I know,” Gerard replied, almost brusquely. “Sit down.”

Sliding into the booth, Brendon stared expectantly at Gerard.

“Watch the show, not me. You’re drawing attention.”  
“Sorry,” Brendon muttered as he turned his eyes back to the stage.

An awkward silence followed as Gerard allowed his client to stew uncomfortably; he was in no hurry to rescue him. He was enjoying both his drink and the show.

“You like those?” Brendon finally broke the silence.  
“What? Women?” Gerard raised an eyebrow.  
“No!” Brendon scowled at what he viewed was him deliberately being misunderstood. “Cocktails.”  
“What can I get you, sir?” the same waitress asked Brendon.  
“We’ll have two more of these, please,” Gerard answered for him, indicating his daiquiri.  
“No, I don’t like all that fruit and sparkler crap they put in the top.”  
“Well, you can have one without, sir, but it’s better if you do,” she replied with some surprise.  
“Two, with everything, please, Jennifer” Gerard insisted, handing her another twenty and noting her name tag.  
“Yes, sir,” she practically bobbed before returning to the bar.  
“What was that in aid of?” Brendon snapped.  
“Just tell me what you want.”  
“How do I know I can trust you?” Brendon grumbled.  
“I’m the one taking the risks here, not you. Now spill.”  
“I work in a hospital…”  
“I know all about you. I don’t need your life story, just a name,” Gerard replied harshly still not taking his eyes off the show.  
“His name’s Ryan.”  
“Okay, leave it with me.”  
“Oh, come on! How can you possibly…”  
“Keep your voice down,” Gerard interjected angrily.  
“You don’t even know his last name,” Brendon whispered.

Gerard paused as the drinks arrived and the waitress offered him another flirty smile.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” he beamed, pausing until she walked away. “You only know one Ryan and certainly only one who knows about your little scam.”

Brendon choked on the sip of daiquiri and tried to cough quietly as Gerard turned a dark glare at him.

“If we accept, the cost will be dependent on what services you require.”  
“What’s on offer?” Brendon sounded interested.  
“You tell me what you want and that’s what’s on offer.”  
“I want him to disappear.”  
“Just dead or complete obliteration?” Gerard took a casual sip of his drink, noting the uneasy expression on the young man’s face.  
“What’s the difference?”  
“Are you kidding me?”  
“In price,” Brendon choked out. “I’m not a rich man.”

Gerard chuckled mirthlessly.

“Yes, you are; we already checked. You can pay our fees.”

Brendon turned his mouth into an angry scowl at the imbalance of knowledge and power that Gerard held.

“Dead, ten for the first hour, plus one for each hour over. Out of state body dump, five. Obliteration, starts at thirty.”  
“Hundred?”  
“Thousand,” Gerard sneered. “Don’t get cheap with me Brendon, my time is valuable. I’ve already spent nine hours making sure you’re legit.”  
“I’m not paying for that!”  
“If you raise your voice one more time, you will not be leaving this booth. Do you understand me?”  
“You wouldn’t,” Brendon gasped. “Not in here. The waitress can identify you.”  
“Do you honestly believe I’d leave witnesses?”  
“B-but you’re so friendly with…”  
“Do we understand each other?” Gerard asked pressing the sharp-bladed hunting knife into Brendon’s side. “At the moment you haven’t hired me, but you’ve seen me, so you’re a threat. I have no qualms about ending your life, here or anywhere else. Or anyone else’s for that matter. What do you want?”  
“Just dead,” Brendon whispered, his face pale. “Don’t care how.”  
“Sixteen. Payment in cash, up front. I’ll be in touch in three days,” Gerard replied downing his drink. “Cover this,” he indicated the glasses as he rose to leave. “And don’t be cheap with the tip.”

Jennifer noticed him heading toward the door and hurried over.

“Sir?” she called.  
“I’m sorry,” he kissed her cheek, “I have somewhere I need to be. My friend will pick up the cheque. Tell him I expect him to give you a fifty as a tip and that I’ll find out if he doesn’t.”  
“He’s not your friend, is he?” she noted.  
“He’s got no manners,” he raised and kissed her hand, pressing a fifty into it and folding her fingers around the bill. “And he’s not good enough for you.”

Lowering her hand, Gerard pulled on his jacket and headed for the door; he had another client to see. A Type Two client.

*

Gerard checked his watch, it was eleven-twenty. He had watched this man more than a dozen times and he was never earlier than eleven-thirty, but he wasn’t about to take anything for granted. If, for any reason, he was early he didn’t want to miss him. He had broken his own rule for this man; he had listened to the woman’s story. She had been so upset, he hadn’t been able to ask her not to. This man had broken her heart, no, he had jumped, even danced on her heart. There was no regret, only amusement on his part. They had argued. Perhaps they even hated each other? Maybe he had seen it as his right? Gerard didn’t know all the details, neither did he care that he had only heard one side of the story. He had been paid and that was enough for him. But what he had heard had affected him deeply. If it was only partly true it was still despicable. She had claimed he had cheated on her and she seemed genuinely distraught. It reminded him of the situation with Mikey when Pete had cheated on him – twice. It made him angry – beyond angry, actually. She had paid only for a basic hit, but the rage he felt bubbling inside him was driving him further already.

As the man rounded the corner, obviously the worse for a few drinks, Gerard’s rage was intensifying. Stepping out of the shadows, he headed, lurching, staggering in faked drunkenness towards his prey.

“Hey!” he waved his arm lazily toward the intoxicated blond man. “Bob!”

Bob looked up, barely able to see in the dim light – somehow, many of the street lights seemed to be broken.

“Who is it?” he slurred.  
“Bob!” Gerard threw an arm around his shoulders, gently steering the taller man. “S’good to see you, man!”

Bob screwed up his eyes and stared in confusion at Gerard, not recognising him.

“Do I know you?”  
“Of course you do!” Gerard faked a hiccup, intentionally staggering and pushing Bob toward a dark alley in the process.  
“Okay,” Bob smiled, accepting the response. “But who are you?”

Gerard merely giggled as he continued to steer Bob into the alley.

“I’m not going this way,” he finally announced.  
“Yes you are,” Gerard replied, pressing his hunting knife against Bob’s abdomen.  
“Dude!” Bob frowned, trying to clear his head. “What the hell?”

Dragged the last few feet into the pitch-black alley, Bob felt suddenly alert as the knife was pressed firmly against his throat.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Gerard sneered as he saw Bob’s panicked expression.  
“T-take what you like,” Bob stammered, his bright blue eyes fixed on Gerard’s cold yet mildly amused expression. “Just don’t hurt me, please.”  
“That’s going to be difficult, Bob. You see, I’ve been paid by Diana to take your life.”

Suddenly struggling despite the knife, Bob’s eyes opened wide in terror as instead of panicking or releasing him, Gerard merely pushed forward, his maniacal grin widening as the razor-sharp knife sunk easily into Bob’s throat. Grabbing his neck, almost as if to hold in the blood, Bob stared in shock and terror as he felt his life slipping away from him, gasping for air through a fatally damaged trachea.

Gerard’s eyes glazed in fury and he estimated that he had roughly two minutes before Bob lost consciousness from exsanguination or asphyxiation. Pulling the knife back, he slashed a large X across Bob’s abdomen, spilling his viscera onto the paving below. Bob, unable to cry out, managed little more than a pained gurgle as he witnessed his intestines falling through the gaping wound. Willing the agony and blood loss to claim him, Bob sagged in Gerard’s grip hoping he could feign death and somehow escape.

Laughing, Gerard pushed him back against the wall by his neck, the blood running down his sleeves as he held him upright, severely weakened but still barely conscious. Bob tried to grab for Gerard’s hand, but there was no strength in his arms by this point and all he achieved was to get his hands and forearms slashed.

“She didn’t pay me to do this,” Gerard chuckled as, with a flick of the knife, he sliced off the fleshy part of his nose, almost down to the bone. “I just hate cheaters!”

Continuing the destruction of Bob’s face, Gerard was forced to allow the man to slide to the floor, no longer certain if he was still alive. His rage now at fever pitch, Gerard cackled as he reached for Bob’s hands, slicing the pads of his fingertips and thumbs off.

“You’ll never touch another woman. Or kiss one, either,” he added, slicing through his lips, the lower of the two hanging by the slightest strand of flesh.

Raising the knife, now livid and further enraged as the frenzied attack progressed, Gerard brought the knife down repeatedly to Bob’s chest and head, the violence of the blows crushing part of his skull. Fragments of bone and brain spattered against the wall as Gerard withdrew the knife for the last time.

Stepping back, gasping for breath as he inspected his work, his masterpiece – yes, this was art, this was his art and no two pieces were ever alike. Taking a deep, calming breath, Gerard seemed almost satisfied with his efforts. With one last surge of anger, he turned the knife to smash the hilt down onto the dead man’s mouth, shattering most of his teeth in one vicious blow.

Pulling his lips into a satisfied smirk, Gerard wiped his knife on his victim’s coat before sheathing it. Pulling off his blood-drenched jacket, Gerard wiped the sprays that had covered his hair, face and neck. He was by no means clean, but, the worst of it was gone. His car was parked at the opposite end of the alley. Certain that no one had seen or heard anything, Gerard left the scene to head home.

Already the excitement of knowing he had a session with Melanie scheduled in was building within him. He would regale her with all the gory details and she was going to be so proud of him. He imagined she would do all his favourite things. Perhaps she would even let him touch her? By the time he reached his car, his erection was already pressing hard against his pants and he was quivering with anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! We hope you're enjoying this still! If so, please leave a comment and we'll shower you with love n cookies! :D Take care, Sas n BCH xx


	6. Party Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard and Frankie's first date proves eventful

“You don’t listen to me, do you?” Melanie noted Gerard when she arrived in the basement.

Gerard was on his knees as he was told, but was still wearing his boxers. She ran her fingers through his hair, fisting her hand close to the nape of his neck and pulled Gerard’s head back. He swallowed harshly and tried not to drool at how amazing Melanie looked.

“I’m not in the mood for any of your bullshit tonight Gee. Clothes off, collar on, hands and knees on the bed. You make any fucking noise and you won’t be able to sit for a week after I’m done with you.”

Gerard was quick to do as he was told this time, putting his collar on, slipping his boxers off and settling on his hands and knees in the centre of the bed. He knew better than to push Melanie’s buttons when she took that particular tone with him. Melanie didn’t like it when he knew, or at least could work out what she was planning to do, whereas, he much preferred to know - it added to his sense of anticipation. Despite the strong temptation, he tried hard not to look at the table beside the bed where Melanie had set up all the toys she was planning to use on him.

“What am I going to do with you Gee? Can’t even follow simple instructions. Here I was thinking you were the smart one.”

Melanie told him as she dragged the riding crop slowly, teasingly across his shoulders making him shiver.

“I’ll be good, I promise.”

She sighed impatiently, grabbing the gag off of the table next to the bed and pulling Gerard’s head up so she could shove it in his mouth.

“I told you to keep your mouth shut, little boy, and you can’t even manage that. Now, I was going to make you count off while I punished you, but since you want to mouth off, you’re going to have to think of another way to thank me.”

When Melanie began to hit Gerard’s thighs with the crop, he closed his eyes and whimpered through the gag. She wasn’t concerned by the sounds, she knew how much Gerard liked it when she hit him, especially with the crop, but his wasn’t about giving Gerard what he wanted it was about Melanie asserting her authority and control over him.

Noticing that his eyes were closed, Melanie stopped, putting the crop down and roughly grasping Gerard’s chin, pulled his head up from where it had dropped between his shoulders. Taking the gag from his mouth, she stroked his cheek before slapping him lightly.

“Eyes open Gee, you know I like it when you can see what I’m doing to you. You don’t want to disappoint me, do you baby?”

“No Melanie, I want to be good.”

“Well, aside from how much you love running your mouth, you are a good boy Gee, you’re my good boy.”

Gerard smiled and looked up hopefully at Melanie and she kissed his forehead sweetly and took a seat on a chair in front of the bed.

“Now, what have you and Frank been talking about? What kept the two of you up all night, hmm?”

Melanie very slowly and very deliberately crossed her legs, giving Gerard a flash of the black, lacy underwear she was wearing on as she did. Melanie had worn this outfit for a reason, a black shirt that doubled as a dress because of her height with white skeleton hands grabbing her breasts and ass, it was much easier to move around when she had very little clothing on and clothing that flowed nicely with her movements. She’d paired the outfit with red, thigh highs and red lipstick. Gerard opened his mouth to start explaining then closed it again, needing a second to think about what he was going to say and Melanie sighed.

“I’m giving you an opportunity here, Gee, but if you’re not going to answer me I’ll just go back to hitting you.”

Melanie moved the chair forward and ran her hands through Gerard's hair, fisting a handful of it and holding him still while she kissed him. Gerard made a surprised noise against Melanie's lips - this was something he was normally not allowed to do. The excitement soon overwhelmed him and he crushed his lips against hers in the heated kiss, enjoying everything that she was letting him have.

“I forgot how good you taste, Gee Baby.”

“You too, Melanie. Thank you for letting me kiss you.”

Melanie smiled and sat back down in her chair, running her thumb across Gerard's bottom lip.

“Now, what did you, and Mikey’s pathetic friend talk about?”

“I played the worried brother perfectly Melanie, broke down in tears and everything, pretended to be worried about my poor, innocent, sweet little brother. The idiot fell for everything! I even told him that I took care of Pete, Mikey's ex, after I found out he was cheating on Mikey. That was before you joined us. Not that I told him exactly what I did to Pete, of course.”

Gerard laughed and Melanie’s lip quirked but she didn’t exactly smile and waited for him to continue but he appeared to be done. Not entirely satisfied with what she’d been told, but still happy nonetheless, Melanie rose from the chair once more and crawled onto the bed with Gerard.

“I’m proud of you, Gee, you’ve done so well. Ready for your reward?”

Melanie gripped the bottom of her dress and pulled it off over her head, dropping it to the floor beside the bed and beckoning Gerard over. He swallowed hard at Melanie’s perfect body, and the black and red satin bra and matching panties were paired well with the red thigh highs and black satin suspenders and it all complimented her pale skin.

“My…my reward? Didn’t I already…?” He stammered.

“Yes, Gee, your reward. You may touch me, and you may kiss me, and…”

Melanie took his hand and pulled him until she was lying on her back with him hovering over her on all fours.

“…I want you to make me scream your name so fucking loud that Mikey will hear it next door, and Ray will hear it upstairs. He needs to know how much of a good boy you’ve been.”

Melanie wrapped her arms around Gerard's neck and pulled him down so they could kiss; it was all the encouragement he needed.

  
*

“Oh my god, Gee, right fucking there!!!!”

  
In the other dungeon, Ray rolled his eyes and Mikey shuddered as Melanie screamed out Gerard’s name.

“She’s faking it with your brother. She always does. Melanie doesn’t tend to make any noise when she’s being fucked right, especially when it’s me. You would have gotten to find out what getting fucked by me was like if you weren’t such a tease, Mikey.”

Ray told him casually as he tightened the shackles around Mikey’s wrists. Mikey swallowed hard and stared back at Ray, remaining defiant.

“Huh,” Mikey raised an eyebrow. “I've never heard of a woman staying silent _when you’re doing it right._ Doesn’t sound like I missed much.”

Ray levelled a solid right hook, splitting Mikey's lip and jarring his neck with the force of the blow.

Mikey spat blood on the floor as he looked up at Ray.

“You’re _sure_ she’s faking it with Gee?” He pressed.

Ray offered Mikey a dark frown before tightening the shackles until Mikey gasped with pain.

“Go ahead, Mikey, run your mouth. I will always be able to hurt you more than you could possibly hurt me.”

“Fuck you, Ray,” Mikey snapped angrily.

Ray chuckled and wrapped his hand around Mikey’s throat, cutting of his oxygen and waiting until the boys lips started to turn blue before letting go.

“Still defiant, I see. It won’t last forever, Mikey. I will break you.” He whispered in Mikey’s ear as he struggled to catch his breath and coughed and spluttered.

Ray turned the light off as he left the dungeon, locking the door as he went. It was only when he was gone that Mikey started crying, praying that Frankie would outsmart Gee and come and save him.

 

*

The next morning, Gerard had risen early. He didn’t need to, but he was excited. It had been the first time he had been excited about something new in a very long time. What was new? Frank was new. There was something about the man that had captured his heart and soul. Even the previous night when Melanie had allowed him to touch, kiss and even fuck her, it wasn't the same sort of excitement that he felt now. He thought about what the difference was and he realised that the intimacy and closeness was the difference. With Melanie the excitement was because normally she was off limits, untouchable - literally. But with Frank, dear Frankie, the excitement was purely to be with him. His perfect eyes, his smile, his contagious laughter, his toned frame and tattoos. He was beautiful, beyond beautiful.

  
Today, he was meeting him again. It was the first time since Mikey’s disappearance and although it had only been one full day in between, it was far too long. It was just coffee, but it was wonderful, exhilarating and he longed to see him.

  
Gerard grabbed his jacket, phone and keys and headed for the door, humming a cheerful tune to himself. He checked the text message on his phone and smiled to himself. It was only meant to be a small, satisfied smile, but it broadened into a grin. He’d seen the message arrive and the preview had shown him enough information to tell him it was time to go and, indeed, where to head to, but now it was open, the small ‘x’ on the end of the message brightened his day just that little bit more.

  
“Gee!”

  
Gerard turned quickly, almost checking himself as he did, concerned that the guilt he felt might somehow be visible. Perhaps it was dripping off him like water? Or maybe it was wrapped around him like a cloak? Could Ray see it? Could he smell it? Like fear?

  
He was meeting Frank; it wasn’t even anything he should feel guilty about.

  
_Of course it was!_

  
A voice inside him was arguing with him, confusing him, upsetting him, even. He felt relieved that it wasn’t Melanie who was standing in front of him right now. She would know. Yes, she would know exactly how to get it out of him too. Nervously, he clenched his fists before immediately releasing them as he realised he was trembling. Did Ray know? Could he tell?

  
Gerard felt guilty. He also felt somewhat lightheaded. He was only going to meet Frank, as he had done two nights ago. All he had to say was that Frank had called him and he was, once more, playing the worried big brother. Or that he was keeping an eye on Mikey’s friend to make sure he didn’t go to the police. Provided Gerard gave him regular updates on the non-existent progress into Mikey’s disappearance, Frank would remain oblivious. He had nothing to feel guilty about.

  
_Oh, yes you have!_

  
Gerard hated his mind sometimes. He could easily switch off the guilt when it came to murder, but not this. How messed up was that?

  
“You all right, Gee?” Ray asked a few seconds later, having not received a reply.  
“What?” Gerard replied, slightly flustered. “Oh, yeah, sure,” he finally managed a smile. “Just surprised; I thought you were busy with Mikey. Do you need me?”  
“No… well, kinda,” Ray replied cryptically. “I was with him, but I had to stop. I need to buy some lube.”  
“Dude! That’s my brother! I don’t wanna hear…”

Gerard’s eyes widened in alarm, cutting his sentence short as a broad smile burst across Ray’s face, immediately followed by his body seeming to crumple, shaking helplessly, backed by his surprisingly girlish laughter.

  
“No! One of the ratchets has seized up!” he gasped between laughing. “Oil, I need oil!”  
“Oh! Thank God!” Gerard rolled his eyes and looked upward, releasing a slow relieved breath.  
“It’s fun messing with you, Gee.”

  
Ray’s laughter slowly quietened, offering the younger man a slight smirk, leaving a disgruntled pout on Gerard’s face. A misunderstanding was one thing, but deliberate was something else entirely and he was unexpectedly angry.

  
“Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Torture is your thing, Ray,” Gerard offered a forced smile. “But don’t you forget what mine is,” he added with a mildly threatening undertone.

  
Ray folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow, deeply unimpressed.

  
“Yeah, being submissive and a total pain slut.”

  
Gerard’s forced smile grew sour and sunk into the angry scowl he’d been hiding. It wasn’t often they argued, but when they did it could descend into something pretty ugly. He didn’t have time today, he was already going to be late now. Almost as if he sensed it, Ray threw an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him playfully.

  
“Don’t overreact, Gee.” Ray laughed again. “I’m sorry, I’m just messing with you. I was after a lift into town, if you’re going that way.”  
“Yeah… yeah,” Gerard nodded. “I’m… er… just doing a bit of shopping. Nothing special.”

  
_First Melanie, now you’re fucking lying to Ray! He knows, you know! He’s not stupid!_

  
Gerard sighed inwardly as Ray let go of his shoulder and headed towards the door. He hated himself, he hated the nagging little voice inside his head, but more than that he hated that he never listened to it.

  
Throwing his jacket on the back seat and settling in the car, Gerard took his phone out of his pocket and placed it in a cup holder between the two front seats before switching the engine on and heading off.

  
“Wearing your extra-skinnies today, then?”

“Umm, yeah,” Gerard replied trying to sound nonchalant – there was no way he could sit in the car wearing these particular jeans with a phone in his pocket without cutting off the blood supply to his leg.  
“I thought they were only for date nights,” Ray chuckled.

  
Gerard spared a glance to Ray, noting the inquisitive expression on his face.

_  
Go on, tell him – you’re meeting Frank. Oh, no, you can’t tell him, can you? Because you already lied about it. Now you’re in a mess, aren’t you? It’s going to be lie upon lie, isn’t it? You don’t have that good a memory, Gerard. Are you sure you’re up to this?_

  
Gerard swallowed thickly; he really wished he could silence his inner monologue.

  
“Ray, you know we went out the other night because neither of us are getting any,” he sighed, unaware that Ray and Melanie slept together regularly. “If I saved them for date nights, I’d be too old to wear them by the next time I got them out!”  
“You’re such a drama queen, Gee,” Ray shook his head. “You do just fine, on a very regular basis.”  
“Only if Melanie lets me,” he muttered in reply.  
“If… what?”  
“If Melanie lets me,” Gerard repeated as if it were obvious. “She doesn’t always. Isn’t she like that with you?”  
“She’s never said no to me,” Ray replied honestly but to a slightly different question than the one Gerard was asking.  
“Oh, well, aren’t you _Mr Goody-Two-Shoes_?” Gerard grumbled.  
“Says the man who gets five dates to my one!” Ray retorted. “She probably feels sorry for me.”

  
Gerard exhaled deeply; a different sort of guilt washing over him this time.

  
“I’m sorry, Ray,” he shook his head. “Don’t know what’s with me today.”  
Ray offered a conciliatory smile. “Maybe you’re still tired? Mel told me to keep out of your way yesterday so you could rest. You had a long night with Frank doing the concerned brother routine. Surprised you could keep it up so long.”

  
Gerard coughed suddenly, reaching for a bottle of water from another cup holder beneath the dashboard and taking a drink.

  
“Then, you were up half the night last night with Mel while you were on the phone to a client,” he chuckled as he spoke.  
“She told you about that?” he frowned almost as deeply as he blushed, sparing Ray another quick embarrassed glance.  
“No,” Ray laughed again. “I just saw your schedule. But now I’m going to ask.”  
“Don’t, Ray, please don’t,” Gerard sighed, shaking his head.  
“Did we lose a client, Gee?” Ray asked, wondering if Melanie had gone too far again.  
“No,” Gerard replied decisively. “It could have happened but I pulled it back.”  
“How?” Ray asked. “We’re not doing a freebie are we?”  
“No,” Gerard chuckled with a distinct sound of menace in his laughter. “I told him that he had better go ahead or I’d kill him instead. I went into a few details too, just to prove I meant it.”  
“Oh, I don’t doubt he realises you meant it,” Ray offered a broad smile. “I told Mikey that your work has much more of a psychological edge than mine does. I expect we’ll be able to ask for double our usual fee just to not kill him.”  
“Triple actually,” Gerard beamed, proud of himself.  
“I don’t know why you don’t want me to ask about it then! You can take more calls in Mel’s dungeon in future.”  
“No!”

  
Ray was definitely going to ask Melanie now. The emphatic and absolutely final tone to his voice spoke volumes and Ray wanted chapter and verse. But that would be purely for amusement value, the previous conversation only half an hour earlier was much more worrying.

  
*

  
_“Ray?” Melanie began. “Something’s wrong.”_  
_“What?” Ray raised an eyebrow at the cryptic words._  
_“Gerard lied to me last night, I’m pretty sure. In fact, no, I’m certain.”_  
_“What about?”_  
_“This friend of Mikey’s who was rude to you. Frank, wasn’t it?”_  
_“What did he say?” Ray asked with concern._  
_“It’s more what he didn’t say. First of all, he claimed to be really tired because he’d been with him talking all night,” she emphasised the word ‘talking’ with air-quotes. “But after he got back from his termination, I asked him to tell me what he talked about and I could have written it out on a postage stamp. No one can spend that long talking and not actually say anything.”_

_  
Ray tipped his head. It seemed to him that Melanie’s words triggered an understanding in him as he remembered the exchange between him and Gerard the night of Mikey’s kidnapping._

  
_“What do you think’s going on?” Ray asked._  
_“I think they did a lot more than talk. That, I don’t even have a problem with, but the fact he thinks he has to lie about it makes me wonder exactly what did happen?”_  
_“What do you mean? Can you be a little more specific? Please?” Ray asked, willing her to get to the point and stop making him guess._  
_“I think he’s gone soft.” She frowned with distaste. “Is that specific enough for you?”_

_  
Ray shook his head and stopped himself from rolling his eyes; the last thing he needed was another argument._

  
_“He did the termination he was scheduled for last night. By all accounts he was pretty vicious, they’re even talking about it as the return of the Belleville Butcher. He’s definitely not gone soft, no matter what he’s up to with Frank.”_

 _“Clearly not specific enough!” she grumbled as Ray misunderstood. “I mean I think he’s regretting setting up his brother and he’s becoming a liability. Look, Ray, if he’s gone all gooey-eyed over this guy, who knows where it’ll lead? You saw Mikey’s reaction when we threatened him with bringing Frank here too. If Gee wants to get into this guy’s pants, how far will he go? Free Mikey? Then what? We’ll go down for every murder from the last three years!”_  
_Ray exhaled loudly. “Actually, I was afraid of this. He may even have defended his brother the night we took him.”_  
_“What!” Melanie snapped angrily. “And exactly when were you planning on sharing this little nugget?”_  
_“When I knew for sure,” Ray growled in response. “Come on, this is Gee we’re talking about. I’m not going to start accusing him of any of this before I’m sure.”_  
_“And by then, if he’s already told this annoying friend about us? We’ll just be arrested.”_  
_“Yeah, we have to deal with it before that happens!” Ray agreed worriedly._  
_“So?” Melanie pressed._  
_“So?” Ray repeated uncertain what had happened that convinced her._  
_“So, follow him, everywhere. I want to know exactly where he goes and what he does when he gets there.”_  
_“Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid?” Ray asked, risking an argument._  
_“Okay, Ray, why don’t you go to your dungeon? I’ll lock you in and you can stay there all day. Then maybe I’ll let you out for an hour then I can have you beaten up and…”_  
_“What the hell are you taking about, Mel?” Ray snapped, irritated by her words._  
“ _Just practice for the real thing! I’m not going to be arrested because you can’t stand up to Gee! Do you have any idea what they do to girls like me in prison?”_  
_“I may have a better idea,” Ray nodded. “I saw him getting ready before. I think he’s going out. I’ll ask him for a lift, we can talk on the way.”_

 _“Discreetly?”_  
_“Of course, discreetly!”_  
_“And then follow him?”_

_  
Ray took a deep breath; when Melanie got like this, it was easier just to go along with it. Besides, was it really worth the risk of doing nothing if she could even possibly be right?_

_  
“Okay, okay! I’ll follow him. I’ll see if I can get his phone too; check for messages.”_

_  
Melanie smiled, satisfied that he was now taking this problem seriously. Even if Ray didn’t truly understand the significance, she knew that something serious was happening to embolden Gerard to brazenly lie to her. It might be nothing, as Ray wanted to believe, but it would take more than a few platitudes to convince her._

  
*

  
“Ray!”

  
Ray snapped suddenly out of his reverie and looked up blankly.

  
“Jesus, Ray, where were you?” Gerard frowned. “I’ve been trying to get your attention, but you were off in la la land!”  
“Oh,” he sighed, “just thinking about something Melanie needs me to do.”  
“What? It really had your attention, so it must be important.”  
“Oh, just some re-con on a client,” he offered a vague explanation without letting Gerard know that he was the client.  
“Oh,” Gerard smiled. “If you don’t fancy it, I don’t mind. Who’s the client? Is it a new one?”  
“Yeah, I’m not convinced anything’ll come of it, personally. Not sure if it’s worth the time, but I said I would. Thanks for the offer. I know you do the bulk of the re-con, but I need to keep my hand in and it shouldn’t take long to find out if it’s a serious proposal or not. Besides, it’s your day off.”  
“Okay,” Gerard smiled reassuringly. Ray seemed out of sorts today, perhaps he and Melanie had had a row? “Do you need some angry sex?”

  
Ray turned a smirk towards Gerard, realising that he had caught on to the fact that something was wrong, but seemed uncertain as to what.

  
“No thanks, Gee, you’re not really my type.”  
“Smart ass!” Gerard replied with a barely suppressed laugh. “Where do you want me to drop you?”  
“Nowhere special, you just park where you’re going and I’ll head off from there.”  
“Okay, I’m going for the parking garage in the mall. That okay?”  
“Perfect, there’s bound to be a bike shop or something in there.” Ray nodded. “I’ll have the ratchet working again in no time. Those ankles won’t crush themselves.”

  
Ray said nothing but merely observed the briefest flinch on Gerard’s face. If he hadn’t been looking for it, he might not have even noticed, but it was definitely there. Maybe Melanie had a point?

  
*

  
Having parked and gone their separate ways, Gerard opened the car door and reached inside to retrieve his jacket and phone.

  
“Oh, damn it, he’s picked up my phone! I knew it was a mistake us getting the same model.”

  
Gerard turned to see where Ray had headed. It had been only a few seconds, but already Ray was lost somewhere in the rows of cars or even already headed in the elevator to the mall. In reality, he hadn’t gone very far at all. Standing in the shadows, Ray saw the frustration on Gerard’s face as he realised his phone was gone and, as if to confirm why, a light buzzing in his pocket drew his attention. Waiting until Gerard had turned his back, Ray pulled out the phone and read the text message.

  
_Hi, Gee! I’m in a booth at the back, near the big window. I got you a coffee… what else? :) CU soon. Xofrnk_

  
“Well, now, Gee?” Ray chewed his lip as he considered apologising to Melanie. “What have you got us all into?”

  
*

  
Gerard entered the coffee shop and scanned the tables and booths, smiling as he saw a hand waving at him. The sunlight streaming in from the large window almost creating a glowing aura around the handsome man now smiling in return.

  
“I got you a coffee,” Frank grinned as Gerard slid into the booth opposite him.  
“Thanks,” Gerard beamed. “Sorry I’m late, I had to give a friend a lift in too. Well,” he tipped his head, “I didn’t have to, but…”  
“It’s okay, Gee,” Frank chuckled. “The coffee’s still hot, you’re only a minute or two late. Did you get my text message?”  
“Yes,” Gerard replied, unaware that he had sent a second. “It’s great to see you, Frank.”  
“Thanks, Gee,” Frank smiled thinly. “I don’t know how I'd have got through the last couple of days if it hadn’t been for you.”

  
Gerard noticed that Frank had left his hand stretched out across the table. Placing his own softly on top, he manoeuvred his thumb underneath and gently stroked Frank’s palm.

  
“You’ve helped me too,” Gerard lowered his head. “'I think I've made a big mistake with Mikey.”  
“What do you mean?” Frank frowned in uncertainty.

  
Gerard let go of Frank’s hand and pulled back before covering his nose with both hands then allowing his fingers and palm to run over his eyes and cheeks. He knew what he meant, but there was no way he could tell Frank. This was a mess. He either allowed his brother to die so that he could keep Frank in the dark about his role in Mikey’s disappearance. The alternative was to tell Frank what he had done and he was pretty certain he knew how that would pan out. He really didn’t like the idea of prison, not one little bit. There was only one possibility - he could free Mikey, then somehow convince him not to tell Frank what he had done. Yeah, right, that was going to happen. He sighed heavily, not realising how long he had been silent.

  
“Gee?” Frank prompted.  
“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.”

  
_Of a plausible response now that I've opened my big mouth!_

  
“You said you’d made a mistake.”  
“I shouldn’t have gone out with Pete in the first place, I know, but most of all, I shouldn't have gone five years without speaking to him.”

  
Now it was Frank’s turn to comfort the older man. Taking Gerard’s hand and interlacing his fingers with his own, he offered him a gentle smile.

  
“You’re worried, Gee, it’s understandable. I'd be surprised if you weren’t. Have you heard anything from the cops? It’s kinda frustrating that I haven’t heard anything. I mean, I know I'm not family, but I do live with him! I've a good mind to go down there and speak to this Detective Grady and make sure his doing his job properly.”  
“Um… yeah, I have had some news.” he lied.

_  
What do I say? I have to say something substantial! If I don’t come up with something, he’s going to go down there!_

  
“Well?” Frank encouraged, at first surprised by his reluctance to speak, then concerned as a possibility entered his mind. “Is it… is it bad news?”

  
Gerard took a deep breath; Frank had unknowingly given him an idea to explain his reticence.

  
“They think it might be Ray,” he replied solemnly.  
“Oh!” Frank’s eyes widened. “Ray from the club? Your friend?”

  
Gerard nodded bleakly, hoping it was sufficient to explain why he didn’t open with the statement.

  
“I’m sorry, Gee, that must be quite a shock for you.” Frank frowned sympathetically. “But, can’t you just…? I mean, have you spoken to him?”

  
Gerard shook his head.

  
_Lie upon lie upon lie! This was getting exhausting. Was he telling the truth to anyone? He probably wasn’t even telling himself the truth. He hated lying to Frank, but what choice did he have? He cared about him, possibly a little too much. They had only met a couple of times, but already it had been heated and passionate. He didn't want to… no, he couldn't risk losing him. Lying was never going to win him any support but perhaps he could make Frank care for him enough that if or when the truth ever emerged he wouldn’t reject him._

_  
It was a long shot, a very long shot, but he could hope._

  
“I’ve tried,” he shook his head. “I don’t know where he is. No one has seen him, the cops haven't found him either.”  
“But…” Frank’s eyes opened wide. “He’s your friend, you must know where he lives.”  
“I do, he lives with me! But I haven’t seen him since Mikes when missing. I’ve tried calling and nothing. I don’t know if he has another property or he’s found a motel or something. I don't know what to say, Frank.”

  
Frank took a deep breath as he processed the words.

  
“Well, does that mean that he’s safe? Sort of? I mean, you live with him, I assume he’s not a psycho.”

  
Gerard licked his lips and took a sip of his coffee.

  
“I… erm… he was really angry.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  
“I’m sorry, Gee,” Frank conceded. “This must be doubly difficult for you. Your brother goes missing and your roommate is the chief suspect. You must be beyond shock.”

  
Gerard exhaled; he hated himself. He had caused this entire situation, Mikey was being tortured by Ray and Melanie - both certifiable psychopaths, not unlike himself - he was lying through his teeth just to be close to this beautiful man and in return he was understanding, sweet and caring. Gerard knew he didn’t deserve it, but his need far outweighed his guilt. And he needed Frank.

  
“I’m sure he’ll be okay. I’ll keep trying his phone, I promise.”

  
Gerard desperately wanted to change the subject. He wasn’t a good liar. He considered this a strange irony given his profession, but he never really needed to lie very much. He was always happy to tell his victims exactly what was going to happen to them - he enjoyed witnessing their responses, which ranged from disbelief to terror, fainting to trying to escape, stammering to pleading, even trying to scream for help. He preferred it when they put up a fight, he always made sure to arrange things so that no help was ever on hand. He was very careful, and he loved his job. It gave him such satisfaction and it quieted his overactive mind. There was nothing quite so relaxing to him as the peaceful art of reducing a once living, breathing person to distorted lumps of flesh and bone, sinew and blood. He hated guns, they were too random and messy for his taste. He much preferred the precision of his favourite hunting knife or a scalpel. No, the idea of shooting someone from a distance wasn’t the sort of personal service they were famous for - or infamous, he supposed.

  
“You’re out of coffee,” Gerard changed the subject. “Can I get you something else?”  
“It’s tea,” Frank corrected.  
“Oh,” Gerard raised an eyebrow. “Well, do you want another? Something to eat?”  
“Um, er, yes, please.” Frank replied, not sure if Gerard was ready for his dietary requirements. “A tea, but no milk and anything non-dairy, gluten-free and vegetarian would be great. Let me pay though.”  
“No, it’s my treat,” Gerard replied with a smile, getting to his feet. “Frankie, you’re a complicated date.”

  
Frank grinned up at him; firstly glad not to be judged and second at the suggestion that this was a date. Mikey had never told him how hot his brother was, understandably, but neither had he told him how unusually sweet he was either. Again, as he hadn’t even managed to be civil to him for five years, he probably should have expected that too. But he was glad he had discovered both of those qualities now. He didn't know if it was reciprocal but he was falling hard.

He watched Gerard walk to the counter. Well, walk wasn't exactly the right word, he sort of sashayed. Frank sucked his bottom lip into his mouth to stop the broad smile that wanted to emerge as he wondered if that was his real walk or it was for his benefit. Looking at the casual, effortless motion and the fact that he didn't even look back to see if he was watching, Frank allowed the smile to break as he concluded that it was in fact his walk. Turning back, he shook his head with mild amusement before looking out of the window. The coffee shop was on one of the mall’s corners and the big window next to him looked out almost to the entrance to the giant mall. He was amazed to see how many people were pouring in from the bright sunshine, with only a few people leaving. He knew the place was large, but the sheer volume of customers entering was staggering.

It was then he saw one person standing absolutely still, unmoving and merely staring directly at him. Frank’s lips parted slowly as he began to recognise the man. He was tall, in dark clothes and a leather jacket. The eyes, wide lips and unmistakeable hair of Gerard’s friend Ray. Leaping to his feet, he was torn between calling for Gerard and racing from the coffee shop to confront him. Even as he stood staring, Ray merely glared back, not afraid to have been spotted. Not wanting to take his eyes off him for a moment, Frank opted to shout Gerard's name, barely caring if he disturbed anyone else in the process. At first, getting no response, he turned briefly and screamed for Gerard once again. This time he got his attention but by the time he looked back, barely a few seconds later, Ray was gone.

  
“No!” Frank cried bleakly.

  
Still waiting to be served, Gerard ran back to their table. Frank, still standing, was distraught and scared.

  
“What? What’s wrong?”

  
Gerard tried to turn Frank to face him, but the younger man was determined to look out of the window, scanning the crowd for the face he had taken his eyes off for the briefest of moments.

  
“Frank!”

  
Gerard physically turned him, cupping his cheek with his hand to prevent him from turning his head back. Gerard frowned deeply, before glancing out of the window for a moment himself. Frank appeared terrified, with blown pupils and physically trembling, he seemed to have difficulty in concentrating on what Gerard was saying to him.

  
“Frank, you have to calm down,” he spoke softly, as much to stop people staring at the pair as to actually make Frank relax.

  
It was as if Gerard was talking a different language and none of his words were registering. He decided the situation called for actions over words. Pulling the younger man into a gentle hug, he smoothed his soft black hair and whispered calmly into his ear.

  
“It’s okay, babe, you're safe. Try to calm down, shh, it’s okay.”

  
Frank began to take slower breaths as he felt Gerard’s calm, slow heartbeat against his body, and the soothing sounds made him feel warm and safe.

  
“I’m okay,” Frank managed, almost hiccuping as he spoke.

  
Gerard leaned back and cupped both of Frank’s cheeks with his hands.

  
“Are you sure?” He asked gently, receiving a smile and a nod from Frank.  
“Okay, you sit down and I'm going to get you a tea and something to eat. You look like you need it. I'm going to put some sugar in the tea, is that okay?” Gerard checked; considering his other dietary needs, he didn’t want to guess.  
“Thanks,” Frank nodded, grateful that Gerard was there and not freaked out by his apparently strange behaviour.  
“Then you’re going to tell me what happened. Okay?”

  
Frank nodded uneasily as he took a seat once more. Staring back out of the window, not seeing any sign of Ray. Gerard leaned down and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

  
“I'll see you in a couple of minutes, Frankie. Just relax, I'm just over there, okay?”

  
As he walked away, Gerard scowled at some of the coffee shop patrons who were still staring or obviously disgusted by either the disturbance or his public display of affection. He didn’t care what their problem was, but he was damn sure they weren’t going to stare any longer. The look was enough to make most of them return to their own business.

  
Waiting in line, he felt the stranger’s approach before he said a word. The hair went up on the back of his neck and he virtually shivered as the danger in the man’s intent reached him before the man did. Turning suddenly and fixing the man behind him with a dark glare, Gerard almost dared him to make a move. Gerard’s eyes bore into him, unbalancing the man unexpectedly.

  
“What do you want?” Gerard asked sweetly.  
“I…”

  
The man had to mentally shake himself to get back to where he had been before Gerard had sensed his approach - before he had seen those truly maniacal eyes that seemed fixed on a spot roughly two inches inside his head.

  
“You…?” Gerard prompted politely.  
“I don’t like you and your boyfriend getting all…”  
“Let me stop you there," Gerard raised a hand, his glare not wavering for a moment. “I'm prepared to ignore the fact that you weren't burdened with an education, provided you go and sit back down again.”  
“Who the hell do you...”

  
Gerard allowed his jacket to fall completely open, displaying the razor-edged hunting knife sheathed in a purpose built quick-release holster.

  
“I'm sure you don't want any trouble. Do you?”  
“Just… watch yourself,” the man replied with a degree of uncertainty.

  
Gerard merely offered a smirk in reply before turning back to the barista to place his order.

  
Placing a meatball wrap and a feta, olive and roasted pepper salad on the counter, Gerard ordered a coffee and a tea.

  
After a brief wait, the tea, coffee, salad and a number on a stick were placed on a tray and Gerard paid.

  
“We’ll bring the wrap over when it’s heated,” the barista announced with a brief smile.  
“Thank you,” Gerard smiled engagingly.

  
Gerard looked relieved when he placed the tray down on the table; Frank appeared much calmer, but he definitely seemed much more relaxed now that he had returned. Tearing his eyes from the window, Frank offered Gerard a genuinely happy smile.

  
“I’m not sure on the whole lactose and gluten thing,” he announced. “Is this okay?” He asked, uncertain about the feta.  
“Oh, that’s great, thanks!” Frank beamed. “I can manage goat cheese. What was going on back there?”  
“Nothing much,” Gerard brushed the incident aside. “What happened to you?”

  
Frank looked down; he felt embarrassed. He was wondering if it had even happened. Had he imagined it?

  
“I’m sorry, Gee,” Frank shook his head. “I must be going crazy. I… I saw Ray. At least, I thought I did.”  
“What? Walking past?” Gerard asked, knowing that Ray was in the area, but imagining him to be a long way away shopping for whatever oil was used on ratchets.  
“No,” Frank almost shuddered at the memory. “I saw him, standing, right over there. He was staring right at me. I mean, really staring. He knew who I was and it was like he was letting me know he was there.”

  
Gerard turned his head to look out into the crowd of people near the entrance.

  
“He’s gone now,” Frank advised. “At least, I think he has.”  
“Looking at you?” Gerard repeated with uncertainty.  
“Yeah,” Frank looked down. “He scared me, I don't mind admitting,” Frank sighed. “What if he’s stalking me? What if he’s got Mikey and now he’s after me?”  
“Over my dead body,” Gerard growled.

  
The barista appeared with Gerard’s meatball wrap and placed it on the table.

  
“Frankie,” Gerard sighed. “This isn’t good enough for you. How about I take you out for something a bit special?”  
“I’m okay with this,” Frank replied, taken aback by the sudden suggestion. “Really,” he added.  
“There’s nothing that’s too good for you,” Gerard smiled, lifting Frank’s hand and kissing his palm. “You've had a shock and I want to make you feel better. Come on, let’s get away from here.”  
“Okay.”

Frank’s smile widened; Gerard was as unpredictable as he was beautiful. Right now, he could have suggested just about anything and Frank would have agreed.

  
“I just need to go to the bathroom.” Gerard pointed to the corner of the room. “I’ll be right back.”

 

Gerard was washing his hands when behind him he heard the door opening.

  
“You think you can intimidate me with the flash of a knife?”

  
The man from earlier growled as he locked the bathroom door but, as he turned back, Gerard was forcing him back against it and placing the sharp blade against his throat.

  
“Well, tell me, does _this_ intimidate you?” He asked with a mocking smile.  
“Are you fucking crazy?”  
“No," Gerard shook his head, _but technically I am a psychopath_. “This way, I think.” He added as he guided the man into the stall furthest from the door.  
“I don't want...”  
"Don't worry, you're really not my type, but let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard of the Belleville Butcher?”

  
The man swallowed hard, his breath faltering.

  
“Well? I hope you have or I'll be most upset.”  
“Yes,” the man whispered.  
“Good,” Gerard nodded. “Now you can tell all your friends you've met him.”

  
Gerard waited until he saw the glimmer of relief in the man's eyes.

  
“Oh, no, sorry,” he chuckled, “you can't.”

  
Gerard pushed a hand over the man's mouth as he stepped quickly to the side and pulled the knife sharply down tearing through his chest down to his navel. Careful to avoid blood spatter from the gaping wound, Gerard allowed the man to fall, pushing him so that he landed draped across the toilet bowl so the majority of the blood lost didn't spill to the floor. Stepping from the stall, Gerard carefully closed the door, cleaned the knife, washed his hands once more and left the bathroom.

  
That was a first, he mused, he'd never killed anyone on a date before.

  
“So, Frankie,” Gerard smiled as he returned to the booth. “How about a trip to the zoo, dinner and then maybe a club? Perhaps back to yours?”  
“'Do you mind if I suggest something slightly different?” Frank asked.  
“You can suggest anything you want, babe.”

  
Frank licked his lips, not quite believing he was about to say the next few words.

  
“How about we go back to mine right now?”

  
Gerard merely grinned and held out his hand to help Frank from the booth. Oh, yes, his first assumption was right - Frankie was special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Summertime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Ray discovers makes him angrier than he has ever been, but it's Mikey who pays

Frank gathered up his coat and followed Gerard to the coffee shop door, once again admiring his sexy walk and that fine little ass in the tighter than tight jeans. Gerard opened the door and held it open for Frank raising a cheerful smile from the younger man, in appreciation of his gentlemanly behaviour. As the door closed behind him, Frank thought he heard a loud scream coming from inside the coffee shop. He turned sharply at the noise, but Gerard already had his arm across his shoulders leading him away.

“What was that?” Frank still strained to look back.  
“Probably a mouse behind the counter,” he grinned. “'Another reason not to eat there!”

Frank smiled, thinking no more of it as they headed back to the parking garage.

“Oh, what do we do?” Frank asked. “Two cars.”  
“How far away do you live?” Gerard asked as they strolled past a series of stores on the way to the elevators.  
“Not far,” he looked up. “Maybe about ten or fifteen minutes drive.”  
“Well,” Gerard mulled the options in his mind. “I could follow you, if you think that would be easy enough?”  
“Should be,” Frank nodded. “What floor are you parked on?”  
“Blue seven,” Gerard replied. “You?”  
“I’m in blue too, I’m on eight.”  
“Okay, I’ll go with you to your car and when we get to mine, you can let me out and I'll follow you.”  
“Do you think I'm going to drive off without you?” Frank laughed.  
“Frankie, you just told me you saw Ray. If he is dangerous, do you really think I'm going to leave you on your own, even for a minute.”  
“You have to eventually,” Frank reasoned.  
“Not here, I don’t.”  
“You don’t think I was imagining it, then?”  
“I don’t know, but is it worth the risk?” Gerard replied, his tone serious and grave.  
“Thanks, Gerard. I really appreciate you caring so much.”  
“More than you think, Frank,” Gerard slipped his arm around the shorter man’s waist and pulled him closer. “I might just be being paranoid. Someone has my brother and it might be Ray. Whoever it is, he’s not getting you too. I will never let that happen and,” he added thoughtfully, “we’ll get Mikey back. I promise you.”  
“You,” Frank paused, “you can’t really promise that.”  
“Yes, I can,” Gerard replied in a determined tone.

Frank smiled as they walked the rest of the way to the car in silence. Gerard, he believed, was being brave. Staying strong and believing that everything was going to be all right. Frank wished that Gerard truly had the power to make it happen.

Gerard mulled over his final words to Frank. He had known him such a brief time. Their first night together had been intense and passionate and they had exchanged several dozen personal and even intimate messages and emails since then. He knew even before they had met today that he had fallen hard for this adorable man and he wanted nothing more than to make him happy. Freeing Mikey would make him happy and he wanted that very much. In fact, it was reasonable to say that he hadn’t wanted something so much for a very long time. On impulse, he turned Frank in his arms and placed a gentle kiss onto his soft lips. The action pulled a surprised squeak from the other man before he relaxed into it, sliding his arms around Gerard’s waist. Gerard pulled back after a few moments, staring into Frank’s eyes almost expecting the look of anger at his presumptive move, but Frank’s mouth merely formed a broad and happy smile.

“You can do that more often,” he added, almost detecting the older man’s uncertainty.  
“Yeah?” Gerard beamed; this was so new to him. New and wonderful. He wondered if Frank would also be happy to do some of the other things he liked. He could only hope.

On the opposite side of the mall, Ray lit a cigarette and drew on it heavily taking the smoke down into his lungs before blowing it slowly back through his lips. Shaking his head at the giddy expression on Gerard’s face and knowing it was the little runt who was putting it there angered him. This had to stop. It wasn't that he didn’t want Gerard to be happy if he were honest, he didn’t care if he was or not, but he didn’t want anything to disrupt their well-established and profitable business. Neither did he want any trouble from Gerard in his plan to torture and kill his little tease of a brother. Taking another drag of nicotine, even Ray had to admit that his desire to kill Mikey had been something of an overreaction, but it was too late to change his mind now. And crucially, it was too late for Gerard also.

“Hmm,” he sighed as he watched the pair head for the elevator. He didn’t need to follow any more, he knew where Frank lived, he could find them any time he wanted. Now it was time to head back home and discuss a plan of action with Melanie. He had a strong feeling that she would be even more unforgiving than he was.

*

Melanie turned her head sharply at the violent slamming of the door. Taking a deep angry breath, she placed her fork down beside her plate and rose to her feet. Whoever that was would be in line for a tongue-lashing of epic proportions. She always liked peace and quiet when she ate, and today was no different. It was one of her favourite treats today - a warm salmon, mushroom and broccoli quiche with a buttery crisp pastry shell and a green salad. It was something she didn’t have very often, preferring to take good care of and maintain her slender and toned figure. This was most definitely a rare treat and the _door-slammer_ had just dared to ruin her lovely relaxing lunch.  
   
If she had to guess, it would be Ray. He was by far the most volatile and easily angered of the two men, and the one less likely to trouble himself to be restrained should he be overtaken by it. But she could get angry too, and right now, she was furious.  
   
Leaving the kitchen, Melanie stalked into the hallway, ready to unleash a stream of expletives on the unsuspecting man who had disturbed her. She got only as far as opening her mouth when she saw the look on Ray’s face. Yes, Ray could get angry, sometimes scarily so and he frequently appeared dark and threatening, especially when at work, but this was an expression she rarely saw. Ray was as dark as a thunder cloud, his eyes black and narrowed, his mouth twisted into a furious sneer. He looked as though he wanted to kill someone. At this point she didn’t know who, but she almost pitied whoever had caused him to adopt such a merciless expression.  
   
“Ray, honey?” She began, almost uncertain how to approach this most rare of his moods. “What’s wrong?”  
“You were right,” Ray replied bitterly.  
“About what?” She tipped her head, uncertain what he was referring to.  
“About Gee,” he shook his head. “Going soft.”  
   
Melanie frowned deeply; as much as she had been prepared to make the statement there was part of her that didn’t believe it to be true, or at least didn't want to. It was a blow to hear it, especially from Ray who had initially dismissed the idea. For him to change his mind, he must have heard or witnessed something quite serious.  
   
“Come through,” she sighed. “I’ll get you a beer and you can tell me all about it.”  
   
Ray’s shoulders dropped; despite what he was about to say, there was an element of relief in the fact that Melanie was there for him and understood what a blow this had been. Of course, she had seen it coming and he owed her an apology.  
   
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I should have believed you this morning,” he said as he followed her into the kitchen. “I guess I didn't want to believe it.”  
“That’s okay, honey,” she kissed his cheek as she cracked open a beer and handed it to him. “Do you want something to eat?”  
“No, I'm fine, thanks. This is great for now,” he replied as he took a long swig of beer, draining almost a third of the bottle in one swallow. As he lowered the bottle, he spied the plate with the half-eaten quiche lying on the table. “Oh! I'm really sorry, Mel, I interrupted your treat day.”  
“Don’t worry about that,” she replied dismissively. “This is far more important. What did you see?”  
“I saw Gerard fawning over that little runt, Frank. He lied to my face about meeting him. He keeps claiming that he’s only playing at being the concerned brother, but he's lying. You should have seen him, kissing and caressing him in public like they’ve been together for months. All doe-eyed and adoring.” Ray’s expression was one of disgust. “He’s totally smitten with him. We all know he’s Mikey’s housemate and worried sick about him. I think he’s going to do one of two things and very possibly both.” Ray sighed heavily, shaking his head in sheer disbelief.  
“You mean he’ll free Mikey, tell Frank, or both?”  
   
Ray nodded bitterly before taking another long drink from the bottle.  
   
“I don’t think he’s done it yet,” Ray shrugged. “I think he’s more likely to free Mikey first. It would be much more of a risk telling Frank until he’d done that in case he has him arrested.”  
“You think he’d really risk being arrested?” Melanie asked with uncertainty.  
“Not yet, but that’s the road he’s on, I'm certain now I've seen them together. I think he’ll wait until he’s sure Frank will forgive him, or at the very least not call the cops on him. But to do that, he’s going to have to show he means it and that means letting Mikey go.”  
   
Melanie slipped her arms around Ray’s waist.  
   
“Well, there’s only one thing for it, isn’t there?” Melanie sounded disappointed but determined.  
“What’s that?” Ray asked, uncertain what their best course of action might be and ready for suggestions.  
“Well, we need to get Gee back under control again and it would seem that the best way to do that is to get control of dear, little Frankie. If we have him, hidden somewhere, or here and locked up but Gee has no access to the keys, he won’t risk anything.”  
“Hmm, I don’t know, he might turn on us. Besides, I want to know if he is actually planning to let his little tease of a brother go.”  
“Oh, well that’s easy,” Melanie laughed, to Ray’s surprise. “We just give him the opportunity.”  
“You’re suggesting we let him?”  
“No,” Melanie shook her head, before leaning in for a brief kiss. “I’m suggesting that we pretend to go out, leaving him alone in the house. But we don’t go anywhere. We wait to see if he goes down to the basement and when he does, we follow him. If he starts unlocking Mikey’s shackles, we’ll know.”  
“And we lock them both in while we decide what to do with them?”  
“Oh, yes, something very painful and drawn out, I hope,” she smirked.  
“Agonising, I’d say,” Ray agreed before finishing his beer.  
“Well, as it seems you’re in the mood now,” she pulled away from him. “What say we go down there now and work out some of your frustration on the little tease?”  
“You have the best ideas, honey!” Ray grinned.  
“Oh, you haven't heard the best one yet,” she pulled his hand as she began to head from the kitchen. “When we’re done, you’re going to fuck me right there in front of him. Show him exactly what he’s missed out on.”  
   
Ray grinned broadly; his two favourite activities at once. She really did have the best ideas.  
   
“I’m gonna go and change. You can go and wait downstairs for me if you want to, just don’t start without me.”  
“Sure sweetheart. You need me to set up anything in particular for you?”  
   
Melanie grinned and slowly backed away from Ray, unbuttoning her shirt and then throwing it at him.  
   
“I need my lighter and one of the craft knives. I sharpened the blades the other day so it doesn’t matter which one.”  
“What are you going to do with it?”

Standing on her tip toes Melanie kissed Ray and bit his lip.  
   
“All in good time my love, all in good time.”

*

Frank had been right, it had only taken them about fifteen minutes to get to his house and Gerard pulled up alongside Frank’s car. There was part of him that felt a little guilty as he realised that Mikey’s car was still at the coffee shop where he worked. He had to admit to himself that guilt wasn't an emotion that sat well on him and he quickly dismissed it; it seemed easier that way. Frank was already at the door and unlocking it, he looked back to see Gerard admiring the tidy and, whilst it would never win any awards, it was certainly a pretty garden. The corners of his mouth turned up as he noticed the carefully edged lawn and the multicoloured border plants neatly arranged down either side of the path and under the windows. Along the walls, rose bushes spread their leaves, some in bud but he couldn’t see what colour they were going to be. He breathed in the scent of the blooms and turned, still smiling to see Frank looking back at him from the door.

“I like flowers,” he explained as he trotted quickly up the path to join Frank.  
“That’s something else you have in common then,” Frank smiled approvingly; he truly believed the brothers were more alike than either realised.  
“Mikey did this?” He asked.  
“Oh, yeah,” Frank ushered him inside, staring down the street with a slight frown before he closed the door. “Mikey's quite the green…”  
“We weren’t followed,” Gerard interrupted.  
“Sorry?”  
“You were looking,” he pointed. “I assumed you were checking for… well, Ray.”

Frank nodded, embarrassed to be caught out, but grateful for the understanding and that he had cared enough to check.

“You’re sure?” Frank asked somewhat meekly.  
“Yes,” Gerard replied, taking his hand and pulling him into the house. “Quite sure.”

Frank allowed the door to close behind him, giving it a gentle push to help it close, but as he turned, Gerard was pressing him against it, leaning in and placing tender kisses on his neck. Beginning at his collarbone, Gerard made his way slowly up his neck before sucking on his earlobe, earning a gasp of approval for his efforts.

“How do you…” Gerard paused. “I mean, the other day was great, but I was wondering if you ever…” There didn’t seem to be a particularly easy way to phrase it. How could he ask this sweet and gentle man to hurt him? At least, without risking offending or scaring him. “Er… what are you into?” He finally asked.  
“You mean… what do I like?”  
“Well, when you’re with Mikey, do you…”  
“Gee, I'm really not comfortable discussing what I do… did with your brother!”

Gerard smiled, almost laughed. He could see the dilemma, if not truly understand it. He didn’t care at all, but clearly Frank did and he didn’t want to push him if he wasn’t comfortable.

“Okay,” he shrugged. “Not Mikey, then, but… okay, I'll come straight out with it. Are you into the Dom/sub scene at all?”  
“Oh!” Frank scratched his head as he thought about it. “I… er… I gotta be honest, Gee, I'm not really into pain and getting hit and stuff. Sorry.”  
“I didn’t actually mean that way around,” Gerard felt a little awkward; it had been a long time since he had broached the subject with anyone. Usually a Dom would know from a mile away that he was a sub, just as Melanie had done. It seemed that Frank was no Dom, well, not yet anyway. “How do you feel about giving it a try?”  
“You… like that?” Frank was surprised; if anything he would have supposed that Gerard preferred to be in control. In many ways, merely by raising the topic, he was in control and Frank was clearly out of his depth.

“I won’t ask you to do anything if you don’t want.”

The disappointment in his tone, although he had tried hard to hide it was evident, and it brought an almost sympathetic smile to Frank’s lips. He had tied Mikey up several times and teased him, even spanked him. It was done in a sense of fun though, never really intending to hurt. He wondered exactly how much further Gerard wanted to go.

“I’ve done some things,” Frank admitted. “With a boyfriend,” he continued, without stating who. “I don’t think I ever actually hurt him though. What sort of things would you um… like?”  
“We could start with whatever you’re comfortable with, whenever you’re happy to start,” he added quickly. “I realise it might be something you’d want to work up to.”  
“No,” Frank shrugged, “it’s quite fun, actually.”

Gerard chewed his lip. He couldn’t believe his luck that this kind, sweet, handsome man was willing to try new things, including things he may have thought were abhorrent to him, just to please him.

“I’m so lucky!” He suddenly blurted. “I’ve not had a relationship like this before.”  
“Like what?” Frank asked in a bewildered tone.  
“Well,” Gerard rubbed the back of his neck, feeling somewhat awkward. “Someone willing to try something I want, just because I'd like it.”  
“What did…” Frank began, dumbfounded. “What?” He finally realised he didn’t understand enough to formulate a better defined question.  
“I always had to earn any affection.”  
“Earn it?” Frank shook his head; the idea was bewildering. “Doing what?”  
“Being good,” he explained. “Only speaking with permission, not crying out when the pain got too much, getting on my hands and knees when told. You know,” he replied, conveniently omitting murdering to order.  
“I… I really don’t.” Frank was astonished. “You like that?” He asked. “Is that what you want me to do?”  
“I’ve never known… I mean, I don’t know if there is another way. It always happens as a punishment. I suppose it _could_ just be for my fun. But she never hit me for anything but her own fun.”

Gerard looked lost as he tried to describe it. He did love being restrained, hit, teased and tormented, but Frank’s reaction seemed to suggest that it could happen purely because he wanted it. That it could be about affection and not just punishment. He had no doubt that sometimes it would be, he was hardly the most compliant sub but the idea that Frank might do these things purely for Gerard's satisfaction than for his own intrigued him. Even the idea of it triggered a familiar swirling feeling and a lightheadedness that he was already responding to.

“Perhaps we can learn together?” He finally suggested.  
“I’d like that,” Frank nodded. “I…er… I have some rope, if you’d like to try something?”

Gerard’s lost look dissolved into a lustful grin.

“After you, sir.”

*

Melanie practically skipped downstairs to Ray’s dungeon; she knew what was awaiting her and even the thought of it had placed her in a good mood. As she descended the steps, she cheerfully hummed a random tune under her breath, abruptly stopping when she stepped inside the door. The scene before her was more enticing than she had anticipated and she took a moment to admire Ray’s handiwork.  
   
“Oh, Ray!” She almost gasped. “He looks so fucking pretty like that. So… innocent and vulnerable.”  
“Yeah, I thought so too. Don’t you think he looks just the right amount of scared?”  
   
Melanie allowed her eyes to gaze over Mikey’s body as she examined every uncomfortable placement and secure knot.  
   
Ray had tied Mikey to a small steel table, large enough to only accommodate his shoulders to just over half way down his thighs. The lower half of his legs hung off the edge, spread and pulled to opposite corners with ropes attaching his ankles to a table leg with additional ropes further securing just above his knees, to the where the steel leg met the table top.  
   
His body lay flat on the table with his head hanging over the edge, so that he was forced to support it himself. She knew that it would be only a matter of minutes before that became very painful in itself, and it drew a sly smile to her lips.  
   
Mikey’s arms lay at his side and she noticed that his wrists were fastened by two long ropes to the remaining two table legs near his head and that they were pulled out slightly from his body, exposing the soft flesh of the inner forearm. It puzzled her at first as they were pulled out at an angle to his body from the elbows down, but his upper arms were pressed firmly against his sides. It was a moment or two before she spotted the rope above both elbows that trailed behind his back holding them in place.  
   
A further rope over his chest but threaded under his armpits had been passed underneath the table and fastened securely at one side of the table top, ensuring that his couldn’t lift himself up. Realistically, the ropes attached to his wrists prevented a lot of movement, but Ray liked to make sure that the hopelessness of his situation was exaggerated. Mikey was completely at their mercy, and he wanted him to know it, feel it, fear it.  
   
Melanie had to agree, he did look scared, but not scared enough by her cruel standards.  
   
“He looks scared, but not nearly enough. Mind if I make a little change?”  
“Be my guest, darling. Whatever makes you happy.”  
   
Melanie smiled affectionately at Ray and headed to her dungeon to fetch a length of rope. On her return, she held it teasingly in front of Mikey’s face with a wicked grin plastered across her face, relishing the uncertainty in his. Standing on the table over Mikey, being careful for the moment to avoid standing on his fingers, she fixed the rope to one of the suspension points in the ceiling and then looped it around Mikey’s neck, tying it in a slip knot.  
   
“Now, let me explain how this works, little Way. You’re going to want to keep that pretty head of yours up or…”  
   
Melanie pushed Mikey’s head back a little, her eyes slipping closed at the little choked-off sounds he made as the rope tightened and his air was cut off for a few seconds before she let him go.  
   
“Well, you get the picture.”  
   
Melanie ruffled Mikey’s hair and he scowled at her while she turned and looked at Ray, proud of herself and smirking. Ray pulled Melanie against him by her hips and kissed her hard, both of them forgetting that Mikey was in the room until he opened his mouth.  
   
“Please tell me you did not just tie me up so you could fuck in front of me, because, no thanks. I mean, Ray, you’re hot, but the little princess? Not my type.”

“Did you just call me a princess? You’re really intent on making this worse for yourself aren’t you baby cakes?”

“Actually, I called you a ‘little’ princess. Probably should have called you a fairy though, or maybe a midget. Yeah, should have called you a midget.”  
   
Melanie untangled herself from Ray and stalked closer to Mikey, pulling his head back, cutting off his air supply once more and slapping him hard across the face. She held onto his hair as she punched him twice in the stomach, going for a third before Ray caught her arm and pulled her away. Melanie turned to glare at Ray angrily, taking a swing at him too but he caught her arm and took her feet out from underneath her, pinning Melanie to the floor writhing and swearing.  
   
“Get off of me! I’m gonna fucking kill the little shit and I’m going to do it now!!”  
“You need to calm down, little girl.”  
   
Ray said sternly, using the voice he used in the bedroom when he needed Melanie to behave. While it was increasingly rare, sometimes Melanie asked Ray to dominate her, needing him to take her out of her own head. Leaning down to nip Melanie’s ear and breathe against it, pinning her wrists and her shins to stop her from kicking at him.  
   
“There are better ways of making him pay.”  
   
Melanie stopped struggling and took a breath, satisfied that she had calmed down a little bit Ray got to his feet and pulled her up with him.  
   
“Sit, and let me deal with this.”  
   
Ray pulled up a chair so that Melanie could watch what he had planned for Mikey and gave her a little shove until she sat down. Satisfied that she was going to stay put, Ray went to one of his cupboards and retrieved a tens unit, used for delivering small electric shocks that he could control the strength of. Ray stuck the pads to Mikey’s chest and stomach and put the power up to level five.  
   
“Ray…”  
   
Mikey cut off whatever words he had planned on saying with a low moan when Ray turned the power on for 10 seconds and then turned it off again. Ray made sure Mikey wasn’t choking himself then turned the device on again, leaving it at level 5 for 10 seconds and then increasing the power until it was up to level 8 before turning it off again. Ray continued with his ministrations for a good 10 minutes, the soft whimper-moans from Mikey’s mouth music to his ears and he couldn’t help but smile. Melanie raised an eyebrow as she admired Ray’s handiwork. The younger man was drenched in sweat, his head briefly lolling back in exhaustion at the last round of agonising electric jolts. As Mikey raised his head a little, Mel noticed a tell-tale flush across his neck and lowered her gaze to his crotch.

“Ray, I think someone’s enjoying this a little too much.”  
“I can’t help it.” Ray smirked. “Look at him!”  
“I am looking, and I’m not talking about you!” She snapped, gesturing to the obvious bulge in Mikey’s pants.

Ray frowned when he caught on to what Melanie was talking about and tried hard not to slam the device don on the table.  
   
“Do you think it’s some sort of genetic thing?” He asked, shaking his head.

Melanie looked confused and Ray rolled his eyes.

“Getting off on having pain inflicted on them.”  
“Oh, right. I don’t know, maybe? Gee doesn’t like electricity though, it freaks him out. Not the right sort of pain.”  
   
Melanie winked suggestively and Ray sighed, looking at Mikey and running a hand through his hair, trying to think of how he could make Mikey suffer instead.  
   
“You think he’ll still like the electricity if we douse him with water first?” He asked Melanie thoughtfully, the mischievous twinkle returning to his eyes.  
“N…no! Please…don’t…plea…”  
   
Melanie shoved her hand over Mikey’s mouth and pushed his head down a little, forcing him to choke again.  
   
“Hush little tease, the grown-ups are talking.”  
   
Ray reached out to stroke Melanie’s cheek and she leaned into his touch, both of them getting a kick out of the muted scream Mikey let out when Ray tore the tens unit’s pads off.  
   
“Why don’t we water-board him? We haven’t done that in a while. Choking and feeling like you’re drowning all at once. That wouldn’t be fun… well, not for him anyway.” Melanie suggested before she and Ray laughed at the scared, desperate whimper that emanated from behind her hand, and the wide-eyed terror on Mikey’s face.  
   
“I think we should do something about this pretty face, and this pretty, pale, unmarked chest. I started to do something about it yesterday but then I worked out he was getting off on it.” She frowned at the memory, before a suddenly shocked expression burst onto her face. “Gross!”  
   
Ray gave Mel a questioning eyebrow at her exclamation and she pulled her hand away from Mikey’s mouth and slapped him.  
   
“He licked my hand! Excuse me for a second while I go and wash my hands. Ray, go and get your knife, some salt, and the pliers. The teeth pulling ones, and the normal ones.”  
“Both sets? What are you planning?”  
   
Melanie smirked and shrugged, wiping her hand on Mikey’s pants to get rid of the remainder of his saliva.  
   
“I haven’t decided yet, but I definitely don’t want to tell Mikey just yet. Why would I want to do that, Mikey? What did I tell you yesterday?”  
“Forewarned is forearmed?”  
“That’s right. Well, what do you know, maybe you aren’t as dumb as I thought.”  
   
Ray watched the exchange with an amused expression settled on his face but did as Melanie had asked. Ray already had an idea of what she was planning and hoped that she’d let him inflict most of the damage. He knew how much Melanie would want to be the one to rub the salt in Mikey’s wounds though, it was one of her favourite things, literally and figuratively.  
   
Melanie returned from washing her hands and pulled up a chair next to Mikey’s head and where Ray had set up his table with the pliers, and the salt.  
   
“Go on darling, go for it. You know how much I love watching you work, you know what it does to me.”  
“It does add to the fun when I get to excite you at the same time, honey.”  
   
Ray leant over and kissed Mel, picking up his knife at the same time and held it against Mikey’s chest, just below his nipple. He felt Mel smile against his lips when he made the first cut and Mikey whimpered. Ray pulled away from Mel so that he could clean his knife before repeating the process of slicing into Mikey, this time starting the cut at his hip and finishing at his belly button, limiting the cuts to the upper layers of skin where the bulk of the nerves lay. When Ray moved the knife to Mikey’s collarbone he squirmed as much as he could while he was tied down and had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from screaming from the pain.  
   
“You know, baby cakes, if you scream for him, he’ll stop.” Melanie said in Mikey’s ear as she watched Ray drag his knife down to Mikey’s sternum.

Mikey jerked away from Melanie so he couldn’t feel her breath on his ear and vehemently shook his head. No way in hell was he going to scream, he wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction. Melanie stood from her chair and picked up one set of the pliers and held them in front of Mikey’s face, his eyes widening and fingers twitching.  
   
“Have you ever had one of your fingernails ripped out, Mikey?”  
   
Mikey scrunched his eyes closed and concentrated on breathing through his nose, ignoring Melanie’s question and the sudden pressure on the index finger of his right hand. When he didn’t answer her, Melanie just pulled Mikey’s head back again, counting to five in her head, slowly, then let him go.  
   
“It’s rude not to answer when someone asks you a question, Mikey. Maybe we should be beating manners into you.”  
“Or, we could just make him too incoherent to do anything but scream for us.”  
   
Ray added and held his hand out for Mel, pulling her up and manhandling her until she was straddling Mikey’s legs. Ray had made several cuts on Mikey’s chest, about 10 in total, in varying lengths and depths and Mel pressed her thumbs into a couple of them to watch Mikey twitch, then licked the blood off of her thumb.  
   
“Hmm…you’re tasting a little bland, not getting enough salt.”  
   
Ray rolled his eyes at Mel and laughed, passing her the bowl of salt he had set aside before they started. When Mikey looked up and saw what was happening he was no longer able to maintain his carefully schooled poker face and now his expression betrayed the fear he so obviously felt.  
   
“Ray, Melanie, please, don’t do this. I’ll do anything, I swear. Ray, you can fuck me if you want to. Just please… don’t.”  
   
Mikey begged, keeping eye contact with Ray as he did.  
   
“Nice try cutie, but you’re not going to be able to beg your way out of this. Even if you do sound good when you beg. I have absolutely no interest in fucking you anymore, I just want to see you suffer and my amazing girlfriend is going to make that happen, aren’t you darling?”  
“Of course I am, whatever makes you happy, Ray.”  
   
Ray roughly grabbed Melanie by her hair and held her in place while he kissed her, Mikey’s screams, as she started to rub salt into each and every one of his cuts, urging them both on.  
   
“Such a beautiful sound. Think I can make him scream by branding him, Mel?”  
“Probably, I have a better way of branding him though. Did you get my knife and lighter, Ray?”  
   
Mel climbed down from Mikey to go and wash her hands again, this time to remove the salt and Mikey’s blood. When she returned she held her hands out to Ray and he handed her the two items she had asked for, still not entirely sure what she had planned.  
   
“I swear sometimes you can read my mind, Ray. Didn’t even need to ask you to tie him up so I could get to his forearm. Thank you for that.”  
   
She turned to Mikey and pulled up her chair next to him.  
   
“Feel free to keep screaming, baby cakes.”  
   
Mel told him happily, using the lighter to heat the blade of the knife before touching it to Mikey’s arm. Ray smiled In delight when he realised what Melanie was going to do and stood on Mikey’s other side. Mikey was now crying and seemed to be trying to ask Ray for help just by using his eyes, too exhausted to talk anymore, let alone scream.  
   
“Just be grateful that Melanie has lovely handwriting.” Ray told him and settled in to watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! We hope you're still enjoying this. We'd love to know what you think, so if you have time to leave a comment, it would be most appreciated. Take care and thanks!! Sas and BCH xx


	8. Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard makes an important decision but will things work out as he planned?

Gerard was happy, really happy. The previous night with Frank had been everything he could possibly have wanted. Gerard had had sex a great many times over the years and most of it had been highly enjoyable, some of it had been wonderful, but last night it was love. He had no idea how amazing it could be to share intimacy on so deep a level with someone he truly felt he would give his life for. He could never have imagined feeling the way Frankie made him feel. His touch was tender and loving, his caresses warm and inviting. Frankie had told Gerard how special he was, how happy he had made him despite the circumstances of their meeting. Frankie had told him that he loved him. No one had ever said that to him before and the words drew sensations and feelings that Gerard had previously neither felt, nor thought himself capable of feeling. Gerard was quick to say the words back to him, almost as if afraid Frank would take them back. What followed was passionate, exciting, tender and romantic - all new experiences and he was lightheaded with the memory of it. Now more than ever he wanted to make Frankie happy.

He smiled to himself as he made breakfast. A big plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes would set him up nicely for the day. Today had the potential to be an important day. He had arranged to meet Frank that evening and how wonderful it would be if he found a way to get Mikey out of the house and return him home after first convincing him to stay quiet on the subject of where he had been and Gerard’s involvement.

It would be an awkward conversation with his brother, that was certain. As yet, the only way he could think of convincing Mikey to keep his mouth shut was to threaten to take him back to Ray and Mel if he even so much as looked as though he would talk. It wasn't the ideal way to begin a new relationship with his brother, but as yet, it was more important to him to cement his relationship with Frank. He could sort out the finer details later.

“Good morning, cheerful!” Ray called as he entered the kitchen.  
“Hi, Ray!” He beamed in return. “Do you want some breakfast? It won’t take me a minute to make some more.”  
“No thanks, Gee,” Ray smirked as he walked past Gerard and leaned against the counter near the sink. “Mel’s taking me out for breakfast.”  
“What?” Gerard replied, turning to face him, apparently crestfallen. “How come you get taken out? What have you done that’s been so good to warrant that?”  
“Well, to begin with, he’s not whining and complaining like a spoiled little brat.”

Gerard exhaled deeply and his shoulders dropped; he hated being caught out like this. There was often a semi-friendly rivalry between him and Ray. Sometimes they had each other’s backs, but sometimes they didn’t, purely for the amusement of the other.

“You’re supposed to tell me when she’s behind me,” he muttered irritably as Ray’s smirk widened.  
“But it’s so much more fun if I don’t,” Ray replied quietly, stifling a laugh.  
“She?” Melanie’s tone was clipped and suddenly Gerard knew he had some serious apologising to do.  
“I’m sorry, Melanie,” Gerard looked down and shuffled his feet. Frank never made him feel like this.

Melanie walked over to Ray and tapped his cheek before turning back to face Gerard.

“I should hope you are. Ray’s been so good lately, I'm taking him out for breakfast, aren't I, sweetie?”

Ray smiled; even after all this time, he wasn't good at faking being submissive, especially when she was being so infuriatingly condescending.

“What were you whining about anyway?” Melanie taunted.  
“Well, I… I’ve been good too,” he mumbled.  
“Use your big boy voice, Gerard, I can’t hear you,” she ordered in return.  
“I’ve been good,” he managed, louder this time, despite the humiliation.  
“Yes you have,” Melanie nodded. “And didn’t you have your reward already?”  
“Yes, Melanie, I’m sorry,” he lowered his head.  
“Yeah, Gee, stop whining.” Ray added. “You got sex, I’m having breakfast.”  
“You get to go out with Melanie, in public!” He looked down again. “I…”

Melanie stepped closer to Gerard and placing a finger under his chin she lifted his head before pressing her lips on his. His eyes widened and he raised his hands as if to embrace her but hesitated, unsure if he was allowed. Melanie smiled into the kiss as she reached for his hands and pulled them down around her waist, eliciting a delighted squeak from Gerard.

After what felt like forever yet not nearly long enough, Gerard felt her slowly pull back from the kiss, smiling sweetly.

“You know you’re my good boy, Gee. Next time, I’ll let you choose your own reward. Would you like that?”

Gerard nodded eagerly, unable to believe his luck. Sometimes she seemed to give him everything and he lived for those moments.

“Now,” she continued, tapping his nose gently with her finger, “why don’t you go downstairs and have some fun with Mikey while Ray and I are out? You haven’t really had the chance yet, you’ve been so busy playing the distraught brother with Frank.”  
“Thanks, Melanie!” He beamed. ‘I'd like that.”  
“Good,” she smoothed his hair, knowing how much he liked it. “We’ll be back soon, okay? Can’t wait to see how you’ve tormented Mikey when we do. Go on, off you go.”

Nodding, Gerard left the kitchen and headed to the basement, his breakfast forgotten. Waiting just beyond the basement door, he smiled when he heard the front door slam. This was his chance, they would be gone at least two hours; he and Mikey would be long gone by then.

Upstairs, having returned to the kitchen, Melanie and Ray were waiting for Gerard to emerge. Ray noticed the troubled look on Melanie’s face, he tucked her fringe behind her ear and kissed her softly.

“What’s wrong darling?” Ray tried to hide the concern in his voice.  
“I just…” Melanie sighed. “I just really hope that we’re wrong about Gerard. Killing is not my strong point.” Melanie shrugged Ray’s hands off and start pulling all the knives from the knife-block and drawers in the kitchen, stacking them on the countertop.

“I know it’s not really your passion Mel, but you’re good at it.”  
“Well I was taught by the best.”

Melanie was right, she was taught by the best. Gerard taught Melanie everything she knew about killing, but like Ray, her passion lay in torture, it was one of the reasons the two of them got along so well.

“Take these and hide them somewhere, you and I both know that Gee will try and use them to get past us.”  
Ray smiled and did as he was told. “Sure, how do you want to play this?”  
“You wait up here for them. Gee will do whatever he can to protect Mikey, I think, so he’ll send him to the front door. I’ll wait there for him. I can’t face Gee right now, I’m so angry, I might just kill him and I don’t want that, not yet. You deal with Gee, I know you’ve been waiting a while to punch him in his pretty face.”

Ray laughed and pushed Mel up against the kitchen island with his hand loosely around her throat, kissing her hard. “Alright beautiful. I’ll deal with Gee, you deal with Mikey.”

*

Opening the door to Ray’s dungeon, Gerard was immediately confronted with the sight of his little brother still fastened to the table. Even from the doorway he could see from the red marks around Mikey’s neck that at some point there had been a noose around it. The arrangement of ropes and the position he had been placed in would have exacerbated his discomfort and although he had no idea how long Mikey had lain in this position he supposed that it was at the very least overnight. As he drew closer, he noticed the word TEASE carved carefully and in large letters into his left forearm, so precise, it could almost have been a tattoo. It was definitely Melanie’s work, he could tell from the handwriting.

Anger bubbled inside him. Ray had said he wanted to kill him and whilst that would have been final, somehow the cruelty he had inflicted on him over such a long period of time over what was a trivial matter seemed even worse. There was another feeling eating away at him, one that he felt much less comfortable with - guilt. The sight of his exhausted and pain-racked brother pulled at emotions that he didn’t know he could feel. He chewed his lower lip as he stood several feet away still, merely taking in Mikey's cuts, bruises, scars and swollen features and joints. Finally, the overwhelming and shocking realisation came over him that he was disgusted with himself for allowing this to take place.

He had cared about Mikey once. Growing up they were very close. The split had come when Gerard had been seduced by Mikey’s then boyfriend Pete. Later finding out that Pete had cheated on both of them had infuriated him to the point that Gerard had killed him. Actually, he had obliterated him; Pete becoming the very first victim of the so-called Belleville Butcher. It hadn’t just been for his own humiliation that he had responded that way, it had been for Mikey’s too. What had changed? At what point did his need to impress Ray and Melanie override his filial loyalty? It was true that his initial change of heart was out of a need to please Frank, but now that he had seen Mikey in such a pitiful state it had become about much more than that. He knew that he had made a very grave mistake, and wasn’t certain he could possibly put it right, but he had to get him out of there for both their sakes.

He was never good, but he had become evil. Encouraged by two other evil souls, his own had darkened considerably. How else could he explain allowing this to happen? He didn’t know if he could ever earn Mikey’s trust or love again, but the first step would be freeing him and not purely for his own selfish needs and desires for Frank.

Taking a deep breath he stepped forward, drawing alongside his brother, he noticed his head lolling back, certainly uncomfortably. Raising it up so it was once more level with his body, Gerard would be surprised by Mikey's reaction, only serving to deepen his guilt further.

Opening his eyes, Mikey looked up in abject terror at the sight of his brother, tears springing to his eyes.

“Get away from me!” He cried with what was left of his shredded voice. “How could you let them do this to me?”

Mikey was terrified of him; broken with excruciating pain and fear. Gerard shuffled backwards a couple of paces before quickly stepping forward to catch Mikey’s head as it fell back once more.

“Sorry! I…”

Gerard stared; he hadn't the faintest idea what to say. How could he make this better?

“Can you hold your head up?” He asked, frowning. “I need to get a couple of things.”  
“Why don’t you just kill me?” Mikey croaked out. “I can’t take any more.”  
“Mikey,” Gerard’s brow furrowed in confusion; he wished this came easier to him, but he was very much on unfamiliar ground. “I’m getting you out of here.”

He leaned to drag the chair over that Melanie had used earlier to place under Mikey’s head. It would be uncomfortable for him to rest his head on the back of the chair, but much less so than trying to hold it himself.

“Oh, really?” Mikey rolled his head slowly from left to right. “She’s already used that one.”  
“What one?” Gerard asked confused, as he started to untie the ropes fastening Mikey to the table.  
“The ‘ _I'm getting you out of here_ ’ line.”  
“Melanie?” Gerard stopped for a moment and stared perplexed at Mikey. “Why would she do that?”  
“To move me into the other dungeon.” Mikey sighed wearily. “Don’t even pretend that's not what you're doing now.”  
“Mikes, I'm getting you out. I'm taking you home!”

Gerard bent down and went back to untying the ropes around Mikey’s ankles, being careful to avoid a kick from his brother, should he find the energy.

“I don't believe you,” Mikey announced flatly. “I have no reason to believe you. You brought me here and…”  
“Ray brought you here,” Gerard corrected in a smooth, emotionless tone almost as if he were asking for directions.  
“Oh, and you had no part in it?” Mikey scoffed.

Gerard straightened up and stared at Mikey.

“I did, you know I did,” he replied with an expression of mild confusion as if he didn't realise that Mikey's question was born out of sarcasm. “But now, I regret it.”  
“You let that bastard and his girlfriend torture me!” He yelled, his voice cracked and scratchy.  
“Melanie isn't his girlfriend,” Gerard replied without even looking up from his task of untying the ropes.  
“Yes she is, she told me,” Mikey insisted.

Gerard looked up, staring at Mikey, his face suddenly pale.

“No,” he shook his head. “She was messing with you.”  
“She said: ‘I can see why my boyfriend wanted to fuck you’. She got pretty upset when I said she should be angry with him for even wanting to.”

Gerard merely stared blankly; he looked as though he was going to be sick. Finally glad to have a little power, Mikey continued, aware that he would probably regret it but beyond caring.

“Ray pretty much confirmed it when he talked about what she's like when they have sex and as if to prove a point, he bent her over me and did her right there,” Mikey nodded to the end of the table, where his legs were dangling. “Didn’t look like I missed much.”

Gerard's pale face began to flush with humiliation and fury until it almost burned with anger. Balling his hands into fists, he emitted a loud guttural scream and slammed both fists down on the metal table, either side of Mikey's left leg. Now it was Mikey's turn to pale; he had never seen Gerard so utterly incandescent with rage.

Gerard snatched his hunting knife from the sheath that almost always hung from his belt and stood at Mikey's side.

“Tell me you're lying,” he raged. “I won’t hurt you, just tell me you're lying.”  
“I’m not lying,” Mikey gritted his teeth and prepared himself for the worst.  
“That bitch!” He screamed.

Reaching for Mikey’s hand he pulled it up as far as the rope would allow and Mikey closed his eyes tightly, only to gasp in surprise as Gerard pulled the knife sharply, ripping through the rope in one smooth movement.

“She’s played me, Mikey. She’s made a fool out of me, they both have.”  
“What are you gonna do about it?” Mikey pressed, egging him on.  
“I’m getting you out of here, get you home,” he nodded before turning a glacial expression toward his brother. “Then I’m going to deal with them.”  
“You’re really getting me out of here?” Mikey’s brow furrowed.  
“I told you, I regret what I did.” Gerard shrugged, surprised by the question.  
“You say that like it's so normal! Like I'm supposed to just accept it!”  
“I can prove it to you,” Gerard announced as he ripped away the last rope holding Mikey to the table before gently easing him to a sitting position.  
“How?” Mikey asked, his voice dropping almost to a whisper at the pain of holding himself upright.  
“How do you think, dumbass?” He replied cutting away the rope around Mikey's elbows. “By taking you home.”

Gerard looked at his brother, realising only now how much they had hurt him and why it had been so difficult for him to believe that he was actually being freed.

“I am sorry, Mikey.” He frowned. “I really am. I know I can’t make this right with you…”  
“Yeah, you can,” Mikey frowned. “You can let me help you deal with them!”

Gerard’s lips turned up into a surprised smirk.

“Oh, I think we can manage that. Can you walk?”  
“I don’t know,” Mikey admitted, as Gerard helped him to his feet before hesitantly drawing him into a hug.  
“If I could take your pain, I would.”  
“I’m okay,” Mikey nodded as he realised his ankles would be able to cope with walking. “I might need some help getting up the stairs.”  
“I’ll carry you if I have to,” Gerard pulled out of the hug, giving Mikey his arm to lean on as they headed for the dungeon door.

As they walked slowly to the door, the green light on the dungeon camera faded to black.

*

“Why did you have to be so fucking predictable, Gerard? Why couldn’t you have proven Mel and me wrong?”

Gerard froze as he spotted Ray leaning casually up against the kitchen island. Immediately Gerard shifted to stand protectively in front of Mikey.

“Get out of here, Mikey. Now.”  
“No way, Gee, I’m not leaving you!”

Ray merely chuckled as the brothers argued and took a threatening step closer to them. Gerard turned around and hugged Mikey.

“Go Mikes, I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll come and find you once I’ve dealt with Ray. Please Mikey, go!” Gerard insisted, giving him a bit of a push towards the front door.

“Don’t go too far Mikey, we’re not done with you yet!” Ray called after him and advanced on Gerard.

“It’s sweet that you sent Mikey off, but you don’t really think he’ll get away, do you? Where do you think Melanie is?”

Ray gave Gerard a moment to process that information before rushing him and grabbing him by the hair. He landed an uppercut to Gerard’s abdomen, winding him and then slammed his head into the countertop. Pulling him upright once more, Ray almost laughed at Gerard's dazed expression, his eyes unfocused. Gerard staggered backwards against the counter, recovering quickly as Ray screamed at him

“You’d be nothing without me, Gerard. You’d be rotting in prison somewhere because you never used to be careful enough. This is how you thank me for everything I did for you? I’m not going to prison because you stopped using your head and started thinking with your dick!”  
“That’s funny coming from you!” Gerard yelled in return, now somewhat recovered. “You thinking with your dick is what got us into this mess to start with!”

Lifting his knee sharply, Gerard nailed Ray in the stomach, before pushing him back and landing a solid right hook to his jaw.

“If you had of just tortured Melanie three years ago instead of fucking her, I would’ve killed her and she’d be out of our lives.” Gerard continued, furious and not holding anything back.

Ray practically growled at Gerard and lunged for him again, but Gerard was quicker. Swiftly drawing his knife once more he slashed Ray’s hand, cutting a deep gash across his palm and middle finger. Pulling back, Ray cursed and held his hand against his chest, scowling at Gerard but unable to make a move because of his knife.

"You couldn't kill her the first time, Gee, I doubt you'd have had the stones to do it even if I had tortured her!"

Ray laughed as he and Gerard both heard the thud of something, or someone, hit the hardwood floor near the door. It was the distraction that Ray needed to get the better of Gerard and knock the knife from his hand.

“You’re going to regret ever trying to cross Mel and me, Gerard. You and Mikey.”

*

Mikey had gone in the direction that Gerard had pushed him and moved toward the front door as fast as his aching body and, in particular, his severely bruised and swollen ankles would allow.

“Come on!” He muttered, frantic as he tried to turn the handle, finally slamming frustrated hands against it when it wouldn’t open.  
“Going somewhere, little Way?”

Melanie sounded amused and Mikey turned around to glare at her and her smug expression. Melanie merely smiled and pulled a key out of her pocket and waved it in his face.

“If you can take this from me, you can leave.”

Mikey took a swing at Melanie, catching her left cheek with his fist and trying to take the key from her. Melanie simply spun in a circle, going with the momentum from Mikey’s fist and swung her arm at Mikey’s chest, knocking him off his feet and flooring him. Mikey’s head made a loud thud as it bounced against of the hardwood floor and he swore.

Melanie straddled Mikey and punched him hard in the face, blocking the fist he aimed at hers, pinning his arms with her knees and holding her knife to his throat.

“You’re so lucky that Gee isn’t here.” She sneered and Mikey could see out of the corner of his eye that her hand was shaking.  
“Oh yeah? And why’s that? He let me go, Melanie, it’s not like he’d help you.”

Melanie held the knife close to Mikey’s eye and he stretched his neck to get as far away from it as possible.

“No, because I want him to watch you die.”

Melanie answered coldly, putting her knife away. Mikey paled and Melanie smiled at him, backhanding him and getting to her feet. Melanie grabbed Mikey by the hair and dragged him slowly back to the kitchen, dumping him at Ray’s feet.

“Get that trash downstairs and out of my sight while I deal with this.” Melanie spat at Ray, pulling Gerard free from his grip and shoving him hard against the fridge with her hand around his throat, her knife at his stomach.

“You’re going to pay for this you ungrateful, backstabbing, lying little shit! You, and your pathetic tease of a brother!” Melanie caught Gerard’s cheek with her elbow and sent him sprawling into the kitchen counter face first, she stood behind him and pulled him up by his hair, the knife now at his throat.

“Oh and Gee? If you think that I won’t hurt Mikey to keep you in line?” Melanie leant forward and bit Gerard’s earlobe, her voice dangerously low. “You are sorely mistaken.”

Gerard swallowed hard as Melanie pushed him towards the basement, staying behind him with the knife at his throat. Knowing that he and Mikey were in trouble, Gerard tried to reason with Melanie.

“Melanie, please…don’t…don’t hurt Mikey. I was the one that let him go, I’m to blame. Hurt me instead.”

“Oh Gee,” Melanie laughed. “There is no ‘instead’. There’s just ‘as well’.”

*

Ray pushed Mikey towards the stairs that led to the dungeons. With each small shove, he chuckled lightly to himself. Mikey bit his upper lip in frustration, it was almost as if he could sense that Ray wanted him to ask the question.

“What’s so funny?” He finally asked. “I know you want me to ask you.”  
“You, that’s what’s funny,” Ray laughed again. “You genuinely thought you were getting out. That’s got to suck, eh? I guess you’re thinking ‘If only Gerard had cracked before’?”  
“At least he did,” Mikey forced a smile. “He helped me in the end, that’s what matters.”

If he were honest, Mikey didn't believe that at all. He desperately wanted to escape. The fact that Gerard had finally decided to free him was important, certainly, but it would have meant so much more if he had succeeded. He knew that Melanie wanted to kill him, he suspected Ray still did too. That Gerard had changed his mind and tried to release him had meant a lot to him, but ultimately he was in the same position and now, so was Gerard.

“Well, yeah,” Ray chuckled again as they reached the bottom of the steps and he shoved him toward Melanie's dungeon. “Except it wasn’t you he was trying to impress.”  
“What do you mean?” Mikey asked, wary of whatever Ray was about to say, he knew better than to trust his word.  
“We thought Gerard was playing the dutiful distraught brother who was in touch with the police, to stop your roommate calling them himself. Turns out he’s been bed-hopping with your boyfriend and neither of them have been too concerned about you. He only freed you to impress Frank. Perhaps he thought he'd get a lifetime supply of grateful sex if he got you out?”

Mikey let out a stifled gasp as he was pushed into the dungeon and shoved again towards the bed. Turning to look at Ray, desperately seeking some sign that he was lying but finding none.

“Don’t kid yourself that this has anything to do with you,” Ray mocked, revelling in the sight of Mikey's creased brow. “All he cares about is where his next blow job’s coming from.”

Dragging Mikey to one of the posts at the foot of the bed, Ray grinned as he noticed he was now putting up almost no resistance.

“Hands behind your back,” he ordered, but didn’t wait as he grasped both of Mikey’s wrists.

Expertly wrapping a length of rope tightly around Mikey’s wrists, before fastening it with a secure double knot, Ray reached for another and lashed it around Mikey's upper arms, looping it around his arms once or twice so he was unable to simply slide out. A third rope secured his ankles together.

“Don’t worry, Mikey,” Ray slapped his cheek twice, almost gently, in mock friendliness. “We’ll kill you eventually.”

*

Melanie pushed Gee over to the basement stairs, grabbed him by the back of his t-shirt and pressed the point of the knife into his lower back. “Down you go, Gee Bear.” Melanie sing-songed into his ear and Gerard did as he was told, mostly so he could make sure that Ray wasn’t hurting Mikey. Melanie led him to her dungeon and the bed, spinning him around and pushing him up against the bed post across from where Mikey was tied.

"Sit down, Gerard."  
He shook his head. "No."  
Melanie sighed, pressing her knife into Gerard's throat. "Ray, sweetie, want to give our Gee some motivation to do as he's told?"  
"It'd be my genuine pleasure."

Ray smiled and clamped his hand tightly over Mikey's mouth and pinched his nose. Mikey's eyes went wide and he pleaded with them as he looked toward Gerard.

"I'd say Mikey has about a minute, Gee. I'd make a decision quickly if I were you, baby."

“Fuck you, Melanie. Fuck you both.”

Gerard spat through gritted teeth and sat down. With a satisfied smirk, Ray let go of Mikey, who coughed and spluttered, drawing in big lungfuls of oxygen.

“I got this situation under control Ray, you wanna go wait upstairs for me? This won’t take long.”

Ray finished tying Gerard’s hands tightly behind his back, making sure the rope cut painfully into his wrists.

“Don’t have too much fun.” Ray winked at Mel and kissed her sweetly, both of them watching Gerard as they kissed, watching as he turned his head so he didn’t have to look.  
“I’m not going to make you promises I can’t keep, Ray. Oh and by the way? I want you naked by the time I get upstairs, you know what type of mood torture gets me in.” Melanie smiled, delicately reaching out to stroke Ray’s cheek.  
“As you wish.” He kissed her palm and headed upstairs, while Melanie turned to Gerard.

"I'm curious Gee, did you really mean it?"

Gerard looked at Melanie, confusion written all over his face.

"Mean what Melanie?" He replied, uncertain what she was referring to.  
"Would you really take Mikey's pain?"

Melanie giggled evilly and grasped Gee's chin, forcing him to face her when he didn't answer. She pulled out her knife and placed it under Gee’s chin so he had to keep looking at her to avoid cutting himself open.

"Leave him alone you psycho bitch!" Mikey yelled.

Melanie just laughed and turned on Mikey while Gerard tried again to pull free. He could see that Melanie had lost it and she was entirely too close to his little brother with her knife.

"Psycho bitch huh? You haven't seen psycho, Mikey. Not even close."

Melanie raised her arm and Gerard tried to kick her legs out from under her but she was too far away from him now. 

"Melanie, don't!" Gerard felt like he'd been punched in the chest when Mikey screamed and Melanie turned back to face him, smiling wickedly.  
"Oh, but he's so pretty when he screams for me, Gee." She whispered in his ear pressing her tranquilliser ring into his upper arm. He looked up briefly to see her licking Mikey's blood from her knife; it the last thing he saw as he passed out.

“Looks like you get to live another night, little Way.” Melanie stroked the gash she made in Mikey’s cheek with her finger, bringing it to her lips and licking it clean of Mikey’s blood and tears. “Don’t cry baby cakes.” Once again, Melanie pressed her tranquilliser ring into Mikey’s neck and leant in close to his ear. “…this’ll all be over soon, for both of you.”


	9. Destroya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hate my weaknesses, they made me who I am

Frank looked up as the doorbell rang; since Mikey had disappeared he had taken sick leave from work. He had certainly been worried sick, but the simple fact was that he hadn’t wanted to be anywhere but at home until he was found. He had been grateful for Gerard. More than grateful; he had been a real rock. Frank often believed that people came into your life at specific times for a reason, and he had wondered if Mikey bumping into his brother that night had been one of those moments. It certainly seemed a significant event in bringing Gerard to him to comfort him in his distress.

Frank was, of course, oblivious to just how calculated an event that was. That Gerard had known exactly where Mikey was and had been using it just to get close to him. But even Gerard had been thrown by their newfound closeness and the sweetness of their burgeoning relationship had made the one he had with Melanie feel empty. Yes, he still cared deeply for her and believed that she felt the same, but it wasn’t what he wanted any more. He wanted Frank and he knew it was reciprocal.

Completely unaware of the danger he was in, Frank rose to answer the door.

“Frank Iero?” Melanie asked as Frank opened the door hiding her surprise at his small stature.  
“Yes?”

Melanie smiled, he looked tired, good, it would make it so much easier.

“Detective Howard, we spoke on the phone.”  
“Oh!” Frank raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. “Er, yeah, come in.”  
“You seem surprised,” she commented as she walked in. “You were expecting someone taller?”

Frank shrugged as he closed the door behind her and followed her into the living room.

“I guess so, but then I suppose you were…”

Frank’s last words were cut off as Melanie’s right fist, protected from damage by a transparent Perspex knuckle duster, powered into his jaw, sending him spiralling backwards and crashing into the door frame. Tumbling to the floor in shock, Frank rolled over onto his back to see the woman stalking toward him.

“Actually, you being so stunted works in my favour,” she grinned as he scrambled to his feet. “If you’d been the size of a real man, it would have been quite different, but this is much more fun.”

Frank bristled at the insult.

“Who are you? Because you’re not a fucking detective.”  
“No, I’m not, but I do know the whereabouts of your sweet little fuck-buddy.” Melanie laughed at the response from the shocked and still reeling Frank.  
“M-Mikey?” Frank’s eyes widened and momentarily he dropped his guard. “You know…?” he hesitated as what she _really_ meant came to him. “ _You’ve_ got him?”  
“You’re not so quick on the uptake are you?” she smirked at his distress.  
“Why?” he asked. “What do you want? We don’t have any money.”  
“You really are slow, aren’t you?” she taunted, causing him equal amounts of distress and annoyance.  
“Why should I know?” he snapped. “I don’t even know who you are!”  
“No, but you know who I’m not.”  
“So, you lied to me about being a detective? Why should that…?” Frank stopped mid-sentence and paled instantly.  
“And there it is,” she gave a satisfied smirk.  
“Who’s the other guy?” Frank asked quietly. “The other so-called detective? Is that who I’m supposed to know?”  
“I believe you’ve met my other half, briefly. Apparently, you were quite rude to him.”

Frank’s brow creased and he shook his head lightly.

“Oh, you really are useless aren’t you? The club? Last weekend? Your stupid friend led him on then just ditched him when you turned up.”  
“Ray!” Frank’s eyes widened at the realisation that he had in fact seen him whilst in the coffee shop with Gerard. “He… he knows I can identify him. I… I told him.”

Frank’s shoulders sagged as he realised that the man who had Mikey had quizzed him on the subject and he had unwittingly placed himself in danger. Suddenly awash with a variety of emotions including: fear, dread and defeat, Frank was caught off guard enough for her to rush forward, landing another cruel punch to his face. Staggering backwards, Frank planted his foot firmly behind himself; determined not to allow himself to be caught unawares again.

“Very good, except you’re still not quite there. You’ve complicated things for us with your new-found love interest. It’s not acceptable. You do realise that, don’t you?”  
“Gerard?” Frank was confused; yes, Gerard knew Ray and maybe even this woman, but he refused to believe that he was involved.  
“It’s touching, really,” she laughed mockingly. “Well, they do say ‘love is blind’. You really can’t see him for what he is, can you?”  
“He knows what’s happened to Mikey.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. The sudden realisation that Ray had spoken to him in the guise of a police detective, but that it had been Gerard who had put him on the phone told him all he needed to know. Or at least, that was all he believed there was to know, but Melanie, seeing the hurt in his eyes, was determined to shatter all of Frank’s illusions in one fell swoop.

“He’s not the sweet boy you think he is, you fool. Yes, he knows about Mikey, in fact he helped to take him, but there’s something else that you’re not going to be able to handle. He’s a cold-blooded killer,” she scowled. “Or at least, he was until you came on the scene!”

Frank shook his head, dazed and uncertain how to react to the news.

“That guy Joe in the papers a few days ago,” she delighted in the horror in Frank’s eyes. “We tortured and killed him. And Bob? You must have read about the Belleville Butcher? He even managed to kill someone on your little coffee date the other day!”  
“He… It… it’s not…” Frank stammered, unable to take in the words.  
“What? It’s not possible? Gerard isn’t a killer?” She laughed. “He’s killed well over fifty people to the best of my knowledge, maybe a lot more than that. I only joined them three years ago.”  
“Them? You, Ray and Gee?” Frank whispered.

She smiled a broad smile of satisfaction as Frank blanched. Ray was the one trying to get Mikey to go home with him. Was that why? He wanted to torture and kill him? Gerard’s brother?

“You’ve placed us in a difficult position, Frank,” Melanie scowled.  
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” he snapped sarcastically. “But not nearly as difficult as I’d like.”  
“Not only do you know about and can identify Ray but you’ve compromised Gerard.”  
“Compromised?” Frank glowered. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  
“Clearly not what you think,” Melanie scoffed. “No, he’s showing signs of guilt. And that, my dear Frankie, is unacceptable in our business.”  
“Don’t call me Frankie,” he growled resentfully.

Melanie laughed; the last thing she was interested in was his feelings, but now she knew he didn’t like it, she was going to persist.

“You really have caused us some problems, Frankie, not the least of which is that we now can’t trust Gerard because of you. We actually caught him in the act of trying to let his brother go. But, fittingly, you’ll play an important role in getting him back under control.”  
“Control!” Frank cried in astonishment. “Who the hell do you think you are?”  
“Me? I own Gerard!”  
“Own? No one owns anyone and certainly not Gerard!”  
“And the sweet part is, you genuinely believe that,” she offered a condescending smile. “But now your beloved Gerard and dear, innocent Mikey are both safely locked up, like you’re gonna be! And when Gee sees we have you, well,” she paused to laugh at his horrified expression, “he’ll do whatever we tell him to!”

Rushing forward suddenly, she landed another punch.

Resetting himself and rolling his jaw from side to side to ease the pain, Frank internally cursed himself for underestimating her.

“That’s what you _think’s_ going to happen, is it?” he forced himself mentally back into the room, he had to stop this.  
“Oh, it’s happening, Frankie,” she laughed at him, as he scowled at the continued use of the familiar name. “Trust me!”  
“Trust you?” Frank gasped at the ludicrous idea. “You’ve kidnapped my best friend and…”

Frank darted to the side to avoid another punch.

“You talk too much, Frankie,” she laughed as she took another menacing step forward. “What’s the matter? Don’t hit ladies?”  
“No, I don’t!” he snapped.  
“Well, this isn’t going to…”

It was Melanie’s turn to feel the explosive pain of a well-aimed punch. Unexpected and powerful, all of Frank’s anger and frustration was packed into the follow through. Her head turning sharply to the right, Melanie spun backwards into the living room, colliding with the couch before rolling onto her back as she hit the floor, unmoving.

“But you’re no lady,” he scowled.

Frank shook his hand out as his knuckles and Melanie’s left eye showed signs of the first blueish-grey blooms of some nasty bruising. Walking over, Frank dropped to one knee at her side to check she was unconscious before calling the police.

Silently and discreetly, Mel turned the lavender jade ring on her left hand with her thumb until it faced inwards. Opening her eyes suddenly, she grabbed Frank’s ankle, the spring-loaded needle piercing his skin. His eyes flew open at the unexpected movement and the pain of the needle seemed almost to go unnoticed.

Still leaning over her and furious, Frank swung his right arm again, connecting sharply with her cheek, but finding that for as much as she reacted with a scream, he was almost unaware as his hand, already bruised from the first punch, seemed to explode with pain. He realised now the necessity of the knuckle duster she was using; he felt certain that if not broken, he had, at the very least, damaged the tendons in his hand. Now clutching at it with his left hand for protection and support, he felt her grip his shirt and he became aware of the livid fury in her eyes as the whole of her left cheek flushed red and began to swell.

Frank could barely close his damaged fist now and knew he needed some sort of weapon to use against her. He pushed himself backwards in an attempt to get away, having still not registered what she had done, all the while adrenaline causing his heart to pump the drug quickly around his small frame. He scrambled further, finally pushing himself almost to his feet before slipping to the floor again as his muscles began to weaken and his knees buckled underneath him. Trying to stand once more became a logistical nightmare; he felt uncoordinated, dizzy and confused. He looked up, trying to focus his eyes and steady himself but instead his senses began to fail him and the room was sliding in and out of focus. Frank fell back, half sitting, half lying and Melanie rose to stand over him, rage giving way to gloating superiority.

“What… what have you done to me?” he gasped, raising his left arm defensively as his chest repeatedly rose shallowly but quickly.

Melanie laughed, displaying the lavender jade rose-shaped ring.

“I’ve drugged you, stupid! It’s a modern take on a poison ring. If I’d have known you were a dwarf, I’d have put less in the well, but maybe this is better? I could either give you another dose and you’ll be out for hours. Or I could take advantage of the situation.”

Already a numbing sensation seemed to be weighing him down and, no longer able to support himself, he slipped back to the floor, his arms falling uselessly at his side. Frank stared fearfully upward, semi-conscious and defenceless. Melanie dropped to his side, smirking. Grabbing a handful of Frank’s hair, she pulled his head into a position from which he was forced to stare at her.

“How would it be, I wonder, if I sliced you up? I could destroy every single tattoo you have.”

Frank’s face appeared to crumple. She didn’t want him dead, at least not yet, but she seemed to possess an uncanny ability to instantly see whatever might inflict the greatest emotional pain.

“No,” she smiled cruelly. “I can make you suffer in many more ways than ruining such beautiful art. Let me see what I can find.”

Rising, Melanie winked at Frank, before setting off around the house to find something that she would find interesting to use. Frank’s breathing was coming in short erratic bursts. Struggling against the drug, Frank found the strength to bend his elbows. Setting his hands firmly on the floor, he pressed hard, but instead of pushing himself to his feet, or even to his knees, he managed only to move himself backwards a few inches. Gasping with a combination of effort and frustration, he tried again but all his efforts were proving ineffectual. Disorientated and fearful, he fell back to the floor, barely able to move. His head swam and he knew the only reason he held onto consciousness was the adrenaline coursing through him.

Frank heard Melanie return before he could see her. As she walked, he could hear something hitting the sofa and chairs. Now standing over him, he could see that she was holding a baseball bat that had been given to him by a friend who played for the Newark Bears. Lifting the bat to shoulder height, she swung it down heavily across his thighs, causing a weak cry of pain. Already, the drug was causing him to lose consciousness and with this new onslaught, he almost welcomed it. Another blow to his upper arm and chest, left him coughing and reeling with pain and shock.

“I want you to beg me to stop, Frankie. I’m going to keep going until you do!”  
“Go to hell!” he slurred, stubbornly refusing despite the agony.

Barely conscious, Frank had been desperate to stay awake and fight in whatever way he could, but now he knew it was a lost cause and his only movements were his eyes, which alternately fluttered open and closed.

Discarding the bat carelessly, she knew he would be unable to stay awake much longer. Dropping to her knees again she seized his arm roughly, injecting him with another dose of the tranquilliser.

“Goodnight, Frankie. Oh, and this?” she pointed to the rapidly bruising and puffy eye and cheek. “You’re going to pay for this. Or at least one of your boyfriends will.”

She threw his head back forcefully to the floor and Frank’s eyes closed, the worried lines on his brow softened and his head flopped slightly to one side. Melanie smiled; this was the last of the possible witnesses who knew about Ray and Gerard. Their empire was safe again, or at least it would be. It looked as though she would have to take on the mantle of killer. Gerard now had to be replaced; it was a shame, he was exceptional at his job.

Getting to her feet, Melanie headed quickly to the back door. Opening it, she grinned to see Ray already waiting there, but her grin switched quickly to a grimace as her eye and cheek caused fresh pain.

“Where is he?” He growled angrily as he examined her swollen and bruised face.  
“He’s out cold,” she shook her head. “Don’t worry, honey, I've already told him there’ll be hell to pay for this.”  
“Good,” he replied with a scowl, “that’s something he’s going to regret for the rest of his life.”  
“They all will, sweetie,” she leaned in, grabbing him around the waist and kissing him hard on the lips. “You brought the rope?”  
“Yeah,” he raised a small bag. “I’m surprised you don’t want anything worse though.”  
“Worse?” She chuckled.  
“More secure, then,” he smiled, shaking his head lightly.  
“You wait till you see him all trussed up nice and tight and then tell me it’s not secure! Besides, you know how much I love the exquisite feel of rope on skin.”

Ray grinned; she had a glint in her eyes that told him that whatever she had planned, Frank was soon going to find himself immobile and extremely uncomfortable.

Walking through to the living room, Ray smirked as he saw that aside from being unconscious, Frank also appeared to have been beaten far worse than Melanie had. Seeing the expression on his face, Melanie explained.

“For some reason, he was reluctant to hit me, well, not until he’d completely lost his temper that is.”  
“He did that hitting you once?” Ray queried, his tone one of disbelief.  
“Twice,” she frowned. “Once to put me down and again when I was on the floor.” She shrugged. “When he checked on me, I drugged him.”  
“I thought you were going to do it so we could enjoy knocking him around a bit?” Ray frowned, feeling as if he had missed out. “Although it looks as though you already have,” he added, eyeing the baseball bat.  
“Ah, well, someone forgot to tell me that he was only about four foot nine.”  
“Oh, yeah, sorry about that.” Ray shrugged. “I didn’t think.”  
“Well, he was on the brink of unconsciousness after one dose, so I just finished him off. Wouldn't have been that entertaining.”  
“Okay, so what do you want to do with him?”  
“I need you to hold him upright,” she instructed, taking the bag of rope from Ray’s hand. “Sitting is fine, I just need his body and arms off the floor at the moment.”  
“Okay,” Ray agreed, as he hauled Frank into a sitting position while Melanie got to work.

Kneeling behind Frank, she took a long length of rope and placed the centre across his back, taking it around underneath his armpits before crossing it over his chest. Pulling the rope back tightly over his upper arms she tied a tight double knot at his mid-back. Looping the rope under his arms at the elbow once more, she again passed it across his chest before bringing it back across his lower arms and tying another firm knot. Having pulled the rope tight, his wrists were now almost overlapping without even needing to pull them together. Working quickly, she wove a figure eight pattern before looping through his arms and between his hands. Finishing with a double knot tied between his wrists, out of the way of his fingers. As an afterthought, she threaded the rope through the back belt loop on his pants and fastened another firm knot.

“Nice,” Ray commented on her handiwork, with a raised eyebrow, earning a smile from Melanie as she fished another length of rope from the bag. Wrapping the cord around Frank’s knees a few times before tying a firm double knot at the front. Moving down to his ankles, she quickly bound them in a similar fashion to way she had his hands, again with the knot at the front.

“There, now I want you to stuff him into the tiny cupboard at the bottom of your equipment cabinet.”  
“It would be just our luck that he likes it!” Ray rolled his eyes, remembering his experience with Mikey.  
“No, I don’t think so. Judging by some of Mikey’s reactions and obvious preferences, I'd say that maybe dear little Frankie isn’t the one that’s used to being tied up. I think it’ll be a genuinely new and thoroughly unpleasant experience for him.”  
“I do love you!” Ray pulled her close and nuzzled at her neck. “How about a little fun before we leave?”  
“What kind? Brutal fun or sexy fun?”  
“How about both?” Ray’s eyes twinkled.  
“Well now, I like that idea,” she murmured as her head fell back, enjoying the sensation. “We’ve got dumb and dumber locked up at home and dumbest here’s out cold for the next few hours. Oh, and there’s a very handy couch right there.” She waved an arm to indicate.  
“I like your thinking,” Ray grinned scooping her up and carrying her the short distance to the large and inviting soft leather couch. With a sympathetic look at her swollen face, he added: “I’ll be gentle.”  
“You’ll do no such thing!” She smirked pulling him closer.

*

Melanie was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed in her dungeon, her right elbow resting on her knee and finally her chin cradled in her hand. She had expected to see at least one of the Way brothers awake on their return, but it had worked in their favour that neither had woken from their enforced slumber. It hadn’t been a difficult task to bring Frank into the house, or even to get him to Ray's dungeon, but the act of forcing him into the small cupboard at the bottom of Ray’s equipment cabinet had taken much more effort than originally imagined. It wasn’t that Frank was difficult to manhandle; he was small and slight and easy to manoeuvre, but the cupboard had actually been much smaller than Melanie had remembered. Either that or Frank was taller than she had allowed for. Nevertheless, the effort, to her mind at least, had been worth it. He was squeezed in, in an extremely cramped space, utterly unable to move. He would almost certainly be in agony when he woke and that was something that brought a malicious smile to her face. When Ray stood, having finally been able to close the cabinet door, sweat breaking on his brow, she had pressed him against the cabinet and kissed him hard as a precursor to, what she saw as, thanking him properly.

The exciting and rough sex on Frank’s couch, then the exertion of installing Frank in his temporary prison followed by the endorphin release from the unexpected but entirely welcome blow job had reduced Ray to an exhausted wreck and he had headed at her insistence upstairs for a well earned rest. She had wanted the time to contemplate what she wanted to do, what they deserved in fact. She was beyond angry, mostly with Gerard, but as his defection had resulted from his feelings for Mikey and Frank, they deserved her anger too. She remained seated for a very long time, merely watching and deciding. The longer they remained unconscious, the worse it would be for all of them.

In the end, it was Mikey who woke first. Recently, he had woken enough times in pain, discomfort or under attack that now he expected it; he was long past being able to wake having forgotten where he was. Now, his eyes looked frantically around before they landed on Melanie but he couldn’t help but smile when he saw her black eye, almost closed from the swelling of her cheek.

“What are you smiling about pretty boy?” She asked calmly, tucking her hair behind her ear and studying Mikey’s face.  
“You and your boyfriend have a fight?” He smirked, happy to see that she had suffered too.

Melanie shrugged, giving no implication that she was going to say anything further. Gerard jerked awake at the sound of Mikey’s voice and look over at his brother. It was a quite different scenario for him; unused to waking bound and at Melanie's mercy in any other scenario than a Dom/sub scene, he was momentarily excited but that sensation was washed away immediately by the reality of the situation. He needed to find a way to placate Melanie or Ray, in fact, which ever of the two he could work his not inconsiderable charm on.

“Where’s Ray?” Gerard asked, watching as Melanie merely shrugged.

He felt certain he could get out of his situation, yes, but at what cost? He would not abandon Mikey now, especially after how they had treated him and especially given what he knew about Melanie and Ray. Yes, they would pay for playing him for a fool, but this needed careful handling.

“He’s around, I’d be more concerned for myself if I were you, baby cakes.”

Melanie turned to look at Gerard, smiling sweetly and the first thing he noticed was her black and swollen eye. The second thing he noticed was that she was calm, almost eerily so and her voice was schooled, collected. He knew that tone, he knew that that tone meant he and Mikey were in trouble.

“Melanie…” He began but Melanie’s glare was enough to shut him up.  
“Be quiet, Gerard. There is nothing you can say to me right now that isn’t going to make me want to hurt you, so, if I were you, I’d keep my treacherous mouth shut.” She snapped.

Gerard did as she asked, shaking his head at Mikey in alarm when he opened his mouth to say something.

“Leave Gee alone you bitch!”  
“Oh, Mikeyboy, you still really don’t understand how this works, do you? Don’t you remember what happened last time you called me a bitch?”

Melanie turned to Mikey and dragged her thumb across his cheek where she had slashed him with her knife, sucking her thumb when the action made him bleed again. Mikey flinched away from her touch and scowled at Melanie but she merely chuckled and dropped to her knees in front of him, resting her knife at his knee.

“Let me explain something to you, okay baby cakes? Every time you piss me off, or upset me, I’m going to take it out on Gee. For example…”

Melanie ran the knife down Mikey’s leg, stopping at the rope around his ankles.

“…if you kick me when I untie your legs, I’ll do the same to Gee, but I’ll use my knife, or my baseball bat to do it. Make sense?”

Mikey’s expression was an uneasy combination of scared and angry, both emotions fighting for dominance. Finally, he nodded slowly and Melanie smiled, hooking the knife into the coil of rope and tearing it free.

“You really are insane aren’t you?”

He asked her calmly and Melanie’s smile disappeared and she sighed and stood up. She stepped over to Gerard and grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling his head back.

“You can thank Mikey for this.”

Melanie punched Gee hard in the face, making sure he didn’t hit his head on the bed post, she didn’t want to knock him out, she just wanted to hurt him.

“I told you Mikey, you piss me off, you upset me, you take a swing at me and I’ll take it out on Gerard.”

“Why? Why won’t you just hurt me?”

Mikey’s voice was smaller this time and Melanie smiled again, standing behind him and untying the rope around his upper arms, leaning in to whisper in his ear, but loud enough so that Gerard could hear.

“Gee said he’d take your pain, that’s why. I heard him when he let you go. Plus, I’m starting to get bored and it’s giving me some entertainment. That’s reason enough, don’t you think? Get up.”

Melanie grabbed Mikey by the hair and pulled him to his feet, only letting go once he was standing because she could no longer reach.

“Don’t even think about it sweetheart.” She told him with a preemptive warning not to try something, pushing him back against the bed and holding the knife at his throat.

Without another word, or even bothering to look at him, she cuffed one of Mikey’s wrists and then switched her knife to her other hand to get his other wrist and closed them tightly around both his wrists.

“Move.”

Melanie ordered, grabbing the front of Mikey’s shirt and pushing him in front of her, staying behind him and keeping her knife pressed against the base of his spine.

“Where are you taking him, Melanie?” Gerard called, alarmed.

“Just next door. Don’t worry baby boy, I’ll be back for you in a second.”

Melanie continued to push Mikey from her dungeon and towards Ray’s where they had set up ready for Mikey and Gerard while they’d been unconscious. The table had been moved to the side and there was now a length of rope tied to the suspension point where it hung low, at about waist height, with a chair next to it.

“I can’t wait for Gerard to get free and make you pay for everything you’ve done to him.”

Melanie turned Mikey around by his shoulders and tied the rope around the chain of the handcuffs with a raised eyebrow.

“Everything I’ve done to him? What are you talking about, little Way? I’ve only ever done things to Gee that he wanted me to, and even if he does take exception to something, I’m pretty confident I can talk my way out of anything.”

Mikey rolled his eyes at her and took a step towards her but Melanie didn’t move, but remained simply staring at him, almost daring him to try something. She knew she held all the cards - it wasn’t as if he could go anywhere or do anything to her, after all his hands were still cuffed and now tied to the suspension point.

“You’re not going to be able to talk your way out of it this time. Gee knows you’ve been playing him, you stupid little girl. He knows about you and Ray.”

Mikey could see the panic dance across Melanie’s face and smirked to himself.

“How?” She scoffed dismissively.  
“I told him.” Mikey revelled in her obvious discomfort. “You’ve told me, Ray’s told me and I told Gee. Simple.”  
“He won’t believe you.” She insisted.  
“He did,” Mikey replied simply. “He isn’t stupid, you know.”  
“Well…You clearly don’t know how easily I can make Gee believe what I want him to.”

There was clear uncertainty in Melanie’s voice and Mikey laughed, leaning over Melanie to whisper in her ear.

“Who are you trying to convince sweetheart? Me or you?”  
“Sweetheart huh?” She laughed, using the moment to claw back control. “This does not bode well for Gerard.”

Melanie slapped Mikey and turned on her heels. Walking toward the wall she flicked a switch and the rope began to rise until Mikey’s hands were held above his head, his feet just barely touching the floor. She found herself smiling as he desperately tried to hide the pain of the cuffs cutting into his wrists. It didn’t matter what he said, she had control.

Returning to her dungeon and Gerard, Melanie sighed heavily and he looked up at her with a questioning look on his face.

“I really don’t think Mikey likes you very much, baby Gee.”  
“Well, I haven’t given him much reason to, have I? But what particularly gave you that idea?”

Melanie sat beside Gee and rested a hand on his thigh.

“Well, he was teasing me, and he called me sweetheart - you know how I feel about that. What am I going to do with you, Gee?”  
“You don’t have to do anything,” he turned his eyes toward her, soft and seductive. “You could just punish me and we carry on as if nothing happened.”  
“Everyone makes mistakes,” she smiled. “Is that what you mean?”  
“Yeah,” he smiled. “He’s my brother, it was a moment of weakness.”  
“But your weakness isn’t for your brother, is it?”

Gerard swallowed as she continued.

“Don’t think I don’t know about your obsession with that tattooed dwarf,” she smirked, slapping his cheek a little too hard to be friendly.  
“I’m playing the…”  
“The distraught brother does not need to kiss and caress his brother’s housemate to prove he cares.”  
“You’ve been spying on me!” He raged, pulling on the ropes to no avail. Shaking his head, he almost laughed. “Ray! Frank did see him.”  
“Yes, he did, and he saw you. We gave you the opportunity to prove us wrong, but you couldn’t even manage that, could you? Now, I haven’t decided what I want to do to you yet, but I want him to see.”

Melanie stood, reaching around behind Gee to cut the rope from his wrists, pulling him to his feet with a hand around his throat.

“You don’t think I’m going to just go with you willingly without putting up a fight do you?” Gerard growled angrily.

Melanie squeezed Gee’s throat tighter and held on for ten seconds before letting him go.

“I think you’re going to do what I tell you because you don’t want Mikey to get hurt, and because you don’t want me to hurt you and I mean really hurt you.”

Gerard scoffed, putting a hand on Melanie’s hip and grabbing her hair with the other. She scowled at him and raised her knife but Gerard caught her wrist with the hand that was on her hip.

“Really Melanie? You’re going to stab me with the knife I gave you? The knife _I_ taught you how to use?”

Gee held Melanie’s wrist tightly, making sure to grind the small bones to try and get her to let the knife go.

“I’m sorry Gee, I never wanted it to come to this. I didn’t believe Ray. I really hoped he was wrong. Why did you do it? I would have let Mikey go if you’d just asked me.”

Melanie sounded sincere, almost like she was going to cry, catching Gerard off guard and he loosened his grip on her wrist. That was all it took. Gerard swore loudly as Melanie stabbed him in the hand, the knife going straight through. Furious with himself as much as with her, he glared as he clutched at his bleeding hand, trying to stem the flow.

“I’m not afraid to hurt you to get you to do what I want you to, Gee. Next time? Next time I’ll stab you somewhere much more important. Got it?”

Not even waiting for a reply, Melanie dragged Gee the rest of the way to Ray’s dungeon and shoved him into the chair next to Mikey, tying his hands behind his back and to one of the slats in the chair so he couldn’t get up. Finding one of the cloths that Ray used to clean his knives, she folded it into a makeshift bandage and fastened it around his hand.

“Ray wouldn’t appreciate it if your blood messed up his dungeon, would he? He’s so meticulous. Now, we have the business of you…” Melanie turned to Mikey and firmly grasped his chin and turned him to face Gerard, “…being a little smart ass to me. I can't just let that go, can I? And I think I know just how I’m going to deal with it.”

Letting go of Mikey, Melanie strode over to the cabinet that contained Frank and picked up the baseball bat she’d taken from his house. She dragged it across the floor and stood in front of Gerard, using it to lean against and lifting his head with a finger under his chin.

“Still want to take Mikey’s pain, Gerard? I think he deserves to take it for himself.”

Melanie smiled at Gerard and swung the bat in Mikey’s direction but stopped short of hitting him in the face. Mikey looked at the bat, his eyes widening when he realised how much it looked like the one he and Frank had at home but he didn’t voice this to Melanie, or to his brother, because that made it real. No, it wasn’t the one he and Frank had at home, it was just a bat that Melanie had in the dungeon.

“I asked you a question, and you of all people know, that when I ask a question…” Melanie took a calculated swing with the bat and hit Mikey in the stomach, he grunted in pain and the chair creaked aggressively when Gerard lent forward in it. “…I expect an answer.”

Melanie raised the bat again, looking at Gerard as she swung it in Mikey’s direction.

“Wait…don’t.”

Stopping just before she hit Mikey, Melanie used it to lean on again and looked at Gerard, expectant.

“Yes, I want to take Mikey’s pain. But, you already knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?”  
“You want to take his pain? I'll give you pain.” Melanie shrugged with a smile.  
“You of all people know that family means everything to me. That I’d do anything for the people I care about.”

Melanie’s smile disappeared and she schooled her face to look frustrated instead. She knew exactly what Gerard was referring to, and she knew exactly how she was going to use it against him.

“I don’t like this ‘new’ you, Gee Baby, he has far too much attitude. Maybe I should beat it out of you.”

*

Frank felt sick. His head was swimming and at first all he was aware of was the resultant nausea. He opened his eyes slowly but it didn't seem to make any difference; it was just as dark either way. Closing his eyes again, exhausted and lightheaded, Frank slipped into unconsciousness once more.

He had no way of knowing how long it had been since he last woke but he was certain it was at least an hour or more. He wasn’t feeling queasy any more and his head seemed to have shed the wool that had clouded his mind. He wasn't certain which situation was better however, as he got a sense of his predicament. Barely able to move, he became aware of the intricate pattern of rope that held his arms uncomfortably tight against his body. His hands tied with little feeling left in his fingers. Similarly, his knees and ankles were tightly bound. His situation was made infinitely worse by his cramped position. With what feeling he had, he could tell he was surrounded by wood and it was very dark, hot and stuffy. He gasped at the possibility that he might be buried alive, only then, feeling the gag pulled deep into his mouth, pressing on his dry tongue.

“Hef.”

The cry for help emerged incomplete, almost unintelligible and so severely muffled as to be a whisper.

Panic began to bubble deep within him like the rumble of a volcano that threatened an eruption. Trying hard to stem his fear and the accompanying anxious and breathless gasping that he knew would follow, Frank tried to swallow but finding it impossible, his anxiety reached up like a ball in his throat, blocking his voice still further. He wanted to scream, to thrash, to kick, ultimately to escape, but equally he was terrified that if he did, no one would come. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead and he heard a faint whimper in the darkness, only to realise that it was emerging from his own throat. Pulling on the ropes and twisting his hands and arms in desperation, tears sprang to his widened horrified eyes as nothing gave even a fraction of an inch.

That sound again. His muffled whimper. If he weren’t bound so tightly, he would know he was trembling.

_Think, think think._

Finally recalling what had happened to him, a tiny flicker of hope forced its way into his mind. Did Gerard know where he was? Gerard would save him. He was sure. Quite sure. Reasonably sure. But what if he didn’t know? What if he was buried? He’d never find him.

He cried for help again, demanding to be let go. His heart and soul went into the desperate cry, but he knew without question that no one had heard him. He had barely heard himself. The dryness of his throat and the effectiveness of the gag preventing almost all sound.

He tried frantically to kick at what could have been his coffin, but his legs were so numb he couldn't coordinate them. Trying hard to shift his position to allow blood flow to regain some feeling was useless, there was simply no room to move. In fact, he was uncertain how he had been forced in in the first place, it was so cramped.

Tears stung his eyes as his fears and anxiety overwhelmed him and he shut them tightly, trying to stem their flow but that only seemed to push them out faster. Logically he knew that for his own safety he had to keep his breathing under control to conserve air and not to lose precious fluids to tears, but both seemed beyond his abilities. Perhaps, he allowed himself the thought, it would be better to die faster than slower. Shaking his head, he tried his best to push the thought from his mind.

It was at that moment that he realised his situation wasn’t what he had assumed. Clearly through whatever container he was held in, he could hear a woman’s voice. It could only be Melanie. She was talking to someone. He couldn't hear the words, but what came next was unmistakable. A loud ragged scream of someone in severe pain. A few more words and another pained cry. Another voice shouting through the pain begging her not to hurt _him_ , whoever _he_ was. But he could guess. The voice belonged to Mikey; he recognised him easily. He must be Gerard. She had all of them now. Who would stop her now? Certainly not Ray. No, his situation wasn't what he had thought - it was worse.

He was listening closely now, some words he could make out, but not others. Shouts and screams, he could hear all too well and there were far too many of them.

*

Gerard was trembling, his fists clenched, breaths pulled in in fitful gasps. His head hung low and it seemed that the only thing holding him upright were the ropes around his upper arms.

“Stop it!” Mikey screamed, lowering his eyes to see his brother, his eyes tightly closed and grimacing with pain beside him.  
“You want some of this instead?” Melanie pressed herself against Mikey’s now exposed chest and pressing the tip of the bat into his neck until she forced him to look away from Gerard.  
“No,” Gerard whispered weakly, coughing with the agony of pulling himself upright again.  
“What you don’t realise, kid, is that your brother gets off on this,” she laughed at the disconcerted expression on Mikey’s face.

Turning to face Gerard, Melanie narrowed her eyes at him as she noticed the pain and exhaustion settled on his face along with no outward indication that he was enjoying himself in the slightest.

“Oh, but what have we here?” She moved over to stand beside Gerard, pressing the bat’s tip into his jaw, she angled his head upward and toward her. “Are those real tears, Gerard? Am I genuinely hurting you? Hmm?” she asked, pausing briefly. “Well, am I?” she yelled as she received no answer.  
“I won’t let you hurt Mikey,” he gasped in response.

Melanie laughed, her smile broadening as she reached up and pulled on Mikey’s left forearm, still securely fastened above his head, eliciting a yelp of pain.

“You think you can stop me?”

Gerard’s head flopped back as once more he sagged, the ropes biting into his wrists as he slumped, unable to support his weight.

“You know what, Gerard?”

She stepped away and walked slowly to a cupboard, and opening it, admired the contents before selecting a prized possession; a five-tailed medieval scourge.

“I think this calls for one of the toys Ray bought for me. This is an antique scourge, instead of pieces of plastic or beads, this one has small sharp fragments of bone and blades embedded in the tails. It’s quite beautiful. Did you know he occasionally buys me little gifts?” she asked, wrapping the scourge loosely around his neck before pulling it away quickly – the sharp fragments protruding from the leather thongs tearing at his skin.

The suddenness and violence of the motion drawing an almost soundless scream from his lips as blood leaked from what felt a thousand cuts around his neck. His eyes rolled back as his body stiffened then sagged. Trying desperately to peel himself away from the arms of unconsciousness that had come to claim him, Gerard gasped for breath, forcing his nails into his palms as he clung to wakefulness – he was no good to Mikey if he was unconscious.

“I said, did you know Ray occasionally buys me little gifts?”  
“No,” Gerard whispered hoarsely.  
“Did you know that my relationship with Ray is nothing like ours?” she teased him with information she knew would hurt.  
“Yes, I know!” Gerard spat with anger and humiliation staining his voice.  
“You were a fool, Gerard! You thought I dominated Ray like I did you. You tolerated my relationship with Ray because you thought it was as forced as ours was. But it isn’t,” she laughed cruelly as his expression began to show less physical and more emotional pain. “It’s hot, passionate, mutual and equal. We both get what we want, often! Usually when I had you locked up down here waiting for whatever scraps I was prepared to throw you! You wouldn’t know a real relationship if your life depended on it!”  
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong!” he screamed, hot tears of anguish and humiliation streaming down his face.  
“Oh, Gerard, are you talking about dear Frankie?” she chuckled callously, pressing herself against him to whisper in his ear.

Nauseous and angry, Gerard tried unsuccessfully to shrug her off, but she clung, digging her nails into his shoulders.

“Yeah, I am!” he snapped angrily, knowing with every word that she would make him regret it. “And in the short time I’ve known him, he means more to me than you ever have or ever could!” he raged, allowing years of repressed anger to flow into the brief tirade.  
“Oh!” she pouted, drawing out the word before letting go, to Gerard’s initial relief.

Heading back to the cupboard, she reached down and slid a wooden panel aside and, reaching in, dragged the bound, gagged and beaten and bruised form of Frank out into the dungeon. What little cool air was in the dungeon now overwhelmed Frank after the cramped, hot and stifling space he had been forced into earlier. Finally able to stretch out his legs, Frank collapsed, breathing hard, dizzy and lightheaded; barely able to even see clearly, never mind acknowledge the room’s occupants.

“You mean _this_?” she spat with contempt.  
“Frankie!” Mikey cried, able to see better from his position. “No… no!” he shouted in desperation as he pulled hard on the handcuffs and rope holding him, to no avail. “Gerard! You have to do something!”

Gerard stared helplessly between Frank and Mikey. Finally, he locked eyes with Melanie, and her smile grew as the pair reached an unspoken mutual understanding. He knew, in that moment, that she was determined to kill them all.


	10. The Kids from Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard is told that confession is good for the soul, but is it good for his relationship with Frankie?

Now dragged fully into the centre of the room, Frank was dropped in front of Gerard. He could see Frank’s cut and bruised face, his arms black and blue from both the beating he had taken and the ropes cutting into his flesh. Gerard, more than anyone, knew how tightly Melanie could tie someone. He’d felt it before, he was feeling it now; he hadn’t lost sensation in his hands yet, but he suspected that he would within an hour or so if he couldn't escape and it seemed likely that Frank’s arms may already have lost feeling.  
   
“Frank?” Gerard spoke quietly, partly out of that unfamiliar feeling of guilt and partly out of not wanting to add to Frank’s pain.  
   
Frank tipped his head to the source of the voice. He knew it was Gerard, he had heard him screaming only moments before, but as his eyes focused on the man he had grown to love, they misted over as what he had suspected was now confirmed. Seeing Mikey suspended from the ceiling by his wrists and Gerard bound to a chair only served to heighten his sense of helplessness. He felt that it was just about possible that Gerard would survive - if what Melanie had said about him was true, it was possible that they needed Gerard. But they did not need himself or Mikey and it seemed likely to him that in order to, as she had put it, bring Gerard back under control, that they would be murdered in front of him.  
   
“Frankie?” Gerard repeated as Frank simply stared up, considering their predicament.  
   
Unable to speak, due to the gag, Frank merely offered a light nod to confirm that he was all right, relatively at least.  
   
“What do you want?” Gerard asked of Melanie in a subdued tone.  
   
Melanie smiled; Gerard knew her well. She had them all gathered now and she had stopped torturing them, or at least paused. She wanted something. She wanted either to do something dramatic that required a build up, or she wanted something from him. When she bent to remove Frank’s gag, he guessed it would be the latter.  
   
Frank coughed violently as the cloth was pulled roughly from his mouth. Acid tried to force its way up as he retched at the motion before managing somehow to calm his breathing and swallow with what little moisture he could summon into his mouth. As he glanced up once more, he saw Gerard and Mikey staring worriedly down at him.  
   
“I’m okay,” he whispered, barely able to manage more.  
   
Melanie walked behind Frank and pulled his head up by his hair, forcing him to look at the Way brothers, pushing her knee into his back to force him upright, giggling manically in his ear.  
   
“Now, since I’m in a merciful mood, Frankie, I’m going to let you choose which one of your sweet, little fuckbuddies I’m going to give a black eye.”  
   
Melanie spoke softly in his ear but loud enough that Mikey and Gerard could hear her. Frank shook his head and bit his lip when Melanie pulled his hair harder.  
   
“Don’t…Call me…Frankie.”  
   
He spat through gritted teeth and Melanie sighed, giving him a shove so he fell back onto his side. She walked over to Gerard and picked his head up, smirking.  
   
“Looks like I get to hit Mikey again, you’ve already got a black eye, baby.”

“Leave Mikey alone, Melanie!”  
   
Gerard glared at her and Melanie seemed to be considering it for a moment before smiling cruelly.  
   
“No.”  
   
Melanie let Gerard go and skipped over to Mikey, standing on her tiptoes so she could whisper in his ear.  
   
“Tell me, baby cakes, does it hurt knowing?”

“Knowing what?” Mikey asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Melanie smiled and stepped behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder.  
   
“Knowing that while Ray & I have been having our fun with you, Gee here was pretending to be the concerned big brother and having his own fun with Frankie.”  
   
Mikey looked to Gerard, his eyes full of disbelief. Gerard licked his lips and took a deep breath.  
   
“I…I didn’t mean to fall for him Mikey, I swear! I wouldn’t intentionally do that to you.” Gerard lowered his eyes before adding: “Not again.”

Mikey shook his head and chewed his lip as he considered his brother’s words.  
   
“It’s… it’s okay, Gee. Me and Frankie… we’re just friends. I mean, we fool around sometimes sure, but it’s just that. I… I’m not the one you need to apologise too though.”  
   
Melanie watched the exchange between the two brothers and followed their eyes when they both turned to look at Frank.  
   
“How do you feel, Frankie, knowing that Gee was using you? Distracting himself from knowing that his dear, sweet, innocent little brother was being tortured by his partner in crime?”  
   
Melanie paused for dramatic effect and pulled Frank back to sitting and smiled wickedly in his face.  
   
“…and the girl he lets dominate and beat him.” She taunted.  
“I wasn’t using you, Frankie, I promise. That’s just what I told them,” Gerard insisted, his voice clipped and urgent.

   
Sauntering back to Mikey, Melanie grabbed a handful of his hair and pressed her lips against his. Mikey squeaked in surprise and tried to pull away but he was helpless against her; hands secure above his head, legs not strong enough to try and kick her. Melanie continued to giggle manically when she licked Mikey’s cheek and pulled away.  
   
“You asked me what I want, Gee? Well, it’s simple, this is the man you claim to love, and by all accounts he feels the same, but he barely knows you, does he?”  
   
Gerard’s eyes widened and he looked up quickly, glaring at her. He felt his mouth dry almost as much as Frank’s had as he anticipated her next words.  
   
“I think it’s only fair that he knows what you’re really like,” she smiled sweetly. “Don’t you?”  
“Before you kill us, you mean?” Gerard narrowed his eyes.  
   
Melanie walked to stand behind Gerard and leaned down so that her lips almost brushed his ear as she spoke, sending a shiver down his spine.  
   
“Oh, I don’t know, Gee, when you tell dear little Frankie what you’re really like, he’ll be so repulsed by you that he won’t want to spend another second with you anyway. If that’s the case, you might as well go back to being your usual submissive self doing exactly what we tell you to,” she grabbed his chin and forced him to turn to look at her as she moved to his side raising her voice in anger, “and no more than that!”  
“You think I'm going to try to make Frank hate me so that you won’t kill me?”  
“Well, that’s one possible outcome, I'm not going to make any guarantees of course,” she laughed.  
“I’m not interested in saving my own life if it still means them losing theirs,” Gerard announced defiantly.  
“Don’t you understand, Gee?” She hissed in frustration. “I'm offering you a way out of this. You were happy to let us kill Mikey before and now Frank knows about you being a murderer, he’s not going to want anything to do with you, so we might as well kill him. But you, you don’t need to die. Don't you get that?”  
“I’m not going to let you hurt Mikey or Frank to save myself,” he replied, glaring up at her.  
   
Pushing his chin away, Melanie screamed in frustration before turning sharply and landing a vicious kick to Frank’s side, eliciting a loud cry of pain and leaving him gasping for breath.  
   
“No!” Gerard and Mikey cried almost in unison, both struggling uselessly against the ropes holding them, trying to go to his aid.  
“You see, Gerard,” she snapped. “Your noble stand isn’t going to save them. Don’t you get it? They’re still going to die. The question is, are you going to die with them?”  
“What do you want me to tell them?” Gerard asked quietly.  
“Gee?” Mikey gasped.  
“Better,” Melanie smirked. “Well, first, I want you to tell them what you did to Mikey’s ex, Pete.”  
“What does she mean?” Mikey’s voice came out as a whisper. “Gee, what did you do?”  
“You see? Even they want to know,” she laughed.  
   
Gerard licked his lips. It was important to him to get the most possible from whatever bargain he was able to make. It seemed unlikely that she would give much; there was little she couldn't tell them herself if she wanted to. It was just the added pain of making them hear it from his own lips that she found most satisfying.  
   
“I’ll do it if you agree not to kill or torture Mikey or Frank.”  
“Oh, how adorable!” She laughed scornfully. “You’re trying to bargain for their lives? You? The Belleville Butcher!”  
   
Frank’s eyes widened at the words. She had told him already, but somehow he had managed to dismiss what she had said in so far as it related to Gerard, outright refusing to believe it. The fact that he was now sitting there with his lips pursed and his shoulders hunched, not denying it, felt like a blow to his stomach.  
   
“All right, I'll take you up on that. You tell them all the gory details and I'll let them go.”  
“And Gee,” Frank managed to get some of his voice back.  
“No, he stays,” she laughed again. “Besides, once he’s finished telling you, you won’t want him near you anyway!”  
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Frank replied sternly.  
“Don't believe her, Gee! She’s a liar, that’s all she does.” Mikey called, having been on the receiving end of her lies many times, he had no faith in her promises at all.  
“I don't,” Gerard glanced up at her, a faint smile on his face. “I asked you not to hurt them. I knew that was the best case scenario. You're never going to let them go. Did you honestly think I'd believe you? I'm not going to do what you want just to satisfy your needs.”  
“What if I want to know?”  
   
Gerard looked down to see the pained expression on Frank's face.  
   
“You... you don't want this, Frank, trust me.”  
“How can I if I don't know you? Tell me.”  
   
Melanie smirked cruelly as Gerard chewed his lip cautiously. He didn’t want to upset Frank, he especially didn’t want it to be the last thing he heard before he died and yes, there was a very great part of him that didn’t want to hear Frank’s repulsion and rejection. Melanie settled herself in a chair, making herself comfortable as if she were about to watch a movie.  
   
“Well, they do say confession is good for the soul, Gerard,” she chuckled.  
   
Gerard nodded.  
   
“Do I want to hear this?” Mikey asked quietly.  
   
Gerard nodded again, taking a few deep breaths before finally speaking.  
   
“I think it’s best,” he sighed. There was part of him that wanted to express his rage with the world and everyone in it, not in a gloating way, not even in a cathartic way. The two people he cared most about in the world were in the room and he needed to be honest with them, even if - and it seemed likely - it was the last thing he did.  
   
“It started a little over five years ago when Mikey was dating Pete. He was very good looking, very charming and believe it or not Mikes, I was really happy for you. One day, he came to my house; he was in floods of tears saying that he’d had a huge row with you and that you never wanted to see him again.”  
“So you slept with him?” Mikey interrupted.  
“Please, Mikey, it wasn't like that. Well, not quite. Let me finish. He was so upset, apparently, and so hyper I didn't think that giving him a coffee was a good idea, so I made some hot chocolate to calm him down. It seemed to help and before long he was leaning against me and we were both dozing off on the couch. When I woke up, it was something like two hours later, I was lying on the floor naked, my hands tied to the table legs and he was straddling me. He was telling me everything he would do to me, everything he could do to me and… and I succumbed. Later I found out that he was still with you Mikes, but by then… I was… I was his. A few months later, I discovered that he was cheating on me, but not just that. He had cheated on you too, for a year, with the same guy. I was furious, for both of us. He’d made fools of both of us Mikey and I just snapped.”  
“What did you do?” Frank asked, knowing that he had assumed that Gerard had convinced Pete merely to leave town and never contact Mikey again.  
“He said he was going to go back to you, Mikes. That you’d never believe me if I told you what he’d done.”  
“It’s true, I wouldn’t have,” Mikey shook his head.  
“He was going to break your heart, again! I couldn’t let him.”  
“What did you do?” Frank asked again, his voice quiet and subdued.  
“I killed him,” Gerard finally admitted.  
   
Melanie coughed lightly.  
   
“Confession is only good for the soul when you tell the _truth_ , Gerard.”  
   
“All right!” Gerard snapped. “I killed him, slowly, painfully. I dismembered him while he was still alive. I obliterated his face with my knife! His cruel, self-centred, narcissistic face! I hated him for what he’d done and I took him apart. That’s… that’s how I met Ray. He’d been hired to torture and kill him - actually by the guy Pete was cheating with. I guess he’d found out about me, or maybe even someone else. But I got to him first and Ray caught me toward the end. We talked. He didn’t like to kill, I was new to it but I didn’t tell him. We struck up an arrangement.”  
“So you murdered Pete?” Frank asked quietly.  
“He was the first victim of the so-called Belleville Butcher.” Gerard replied, looking down at his knees, trying to avoid Frank and Mikey’s gaze.  
“And you started working with Ray because he caught you at it?” Frank asked.  
“Yeah.”  
“So, if he hadn’t, you might never have killed again?”  
   
Gerard raised his eyes, finally meeting Frank’s sympathetic stare.  
   
“I don’t know,” he admitted honestly. “It changed me, definitely,” he shrugged. “But I… I’d do anything… be anything for you, Frank.”  
“Do you enjoy it?” Frank asked, the words catching in his throat.

Gerard thought about the question. It wasn't as straightforward as a simple yes or no.

“Some are easier than others,” he shrugged. “Often after Ray’s finished, you can see it’s almost a relief for them. Others, like with Pete, I… I get these rages.”  
“Do you have to kill?” Frank asked. “Is there something that drives you?”  
“No,” Gerard shook his head, glad to be able to answer a question definitively. “It was just a job.”  
“Was?”  
“I just want to be with you,” he smiled lovingly. “I’d do anything for you.”  
   
Frank smiled in return, their eyes meeting in a tender exchange, but Melanie was livid.  
   
“What the fuck! He just told you he’s the fucking Belleville Butcher and you’re okay with that?!” She screamed at Frank, furious that her plan to make Gerard repellent in Frank’s eyes had failed.  
“He was.” Frank continued to stare at Gerard, his expression one of acceptance and love.  
   
Dragging Frank into a sitting position, Melanie rained blows on him, livid and no longer holding back her intense anger.  
   
“No!” Gerard screamed, once again struggling to no avail. “Leave him alone! It’s me you hate!”  
   
Throwing Frank back to the floor, now barely conscious, Melanie drew herself up to her full height and turned on Gerard, her expression as dark as a thunder cloud.  
   
“Oh, don’t worry, Gerard,” she sneered, her eyes wild with fury. “I’ll make you suffer, don’t you worry! Through him,” she landed another kick to Frank’s side before continuing in her rage. “Through him!” She pointed at Mikey. “And, then you! I’ll tear you apart with my bare hands. They’ll think the Belleville Butcher’s upped his game by the time I've finished with you three! Do you hear me, Gerard? You’re all going to die. Slowly, painfully and you’re going to watch them go first. I'm going to make you beg me to kill them, just to end their suffering! And then, if you’re lucky, I'll kill you!”  
   
Melanie picked up the discarded baseball ball and took another swing at Mikey with it, hitting him hard in the thigh and frowning when he didn’t really react.  
   
“Leave Mikey alone, Melanie!”  
   
Breathing hard, Melanie kept hold of the bat with one hand and walked over to the cabinet that had contained Frank and pulled out a roll of duct tape, tearing a strip off and stalking back over to Gerard.  
   
“You talk too much, Gerard. I’ve always said that about you, that’s why I always put a gag in your pretty mouth when we play.”  
   
Melanie shoved the tape over Gerard’s mouth and slapped him hard across the face before turning back to Mikey.  
   
“Now, little Way, are you going to make the sounds I want you to make, or do I need to gag you too? I think you’d look so pretty with something in your mouth.”  
“You… you really are… in-insane… aren’t… you?”  
   
Turning around with a smile playing on her lips, Melanie looks down at Frank, picking his head up with his own baseball bat until he was looking her in the eye.  
   
“Thank you for this, Frankie. I really appreciate this fine piece of wood, it’s useful for inflicting pain. Now, please be quiet. I don’t want you talking over Mikey screaming.”  
   
Melanie leaned over and pinched Frank’s cheek, slapping him and going back to Mikey, smiling and hitting him in the stomach with the bat and sighing as Mikey groaned in pain, a groan wasn’t what she wanted to hear though.  
   
“Hey, Gee, think I could break Mikey’s arm if I hit him hard enough with the bat?”  
   
Melanie giggled to herself and brought the bat down hard across Mikey’s knees and he screamed.  
   
“That’s the sound I was looking for!”  
“Melanie… please. Just let us go… please. We’ll do anything…just…”  
   
Furious at yet another interruption, Melanie took a swing at Frank with the bat, catching him hard in the shoulder and spitting on him afterwards.  
   
“For the love of GOD, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! I should just gag you all and leave you down here to fucking starve to death!”  
   
Viciously swinging the bat at Mikey again, Melanie hit him over and over until he stopped screaming and just whimpered in pain, unable to scream anymore.  
   
“I should kill you, Gerard, at least I’d get some practice in. Is this what betrayal costs nowadays?”  
   
Melanie gestured to Mikey and Frank, abandoning the bat, straddling Gerard’s lap and ripping the tape from his mouth.  
   
“Killing me won’t make you feel any better about yourself, babe. You’ll never be anywhere near as good as me at this sweetheart.”  
“Babe? Sweetheart? Are you forgetting your place in all of this? You didn’t get to call me those things when I was fucking you, what makes you think you can call me those things now that we’re not?”  
   
Melanie scoffed and climbed off of Gerard, picking up the bat again and laying it on the table, admiring it a little fondly and schooling her face to calm and turned around. Melanie pulled her knife back out and waved it in Mikey’s face, smiling at the little whimpers he made as she got closer.  
   
“Hey, there we go! You taste nice and salty now, baby cakes. Wait… are you crying? Aww Gee, I made your little brother cry.”  
“You’ll be the one crying when I get out of here, Melanie. I’m going to make you suffer, and make you regret ever touching Frankie.”  
   
Lowering her knife, Melanie smiled dreamily at Mikey and licked his cheek to his ear.  
   
“You hear that, Mikey? Gee is going to make me suffer and regret ever touching Frankie. Guess you know where his loyalties still lie.”  
   
She said it loud enough that Gerard and Frank could hear and walked over to Frank, landing a solid kick to his ribs. Frank grunted and swore and Melanie giggled, going back to Gerard and sat on his lap again.  
   
“You’d have been nothing without Ray.”  
“Is that so?” Gerard cocked his head and smirked playfully.  
“Yes, that’s so. He told me how reckless you used to be,”  
   
Melanie moved closer to Gerard so he couldn’t look away.  
   
“Did he? And what did he say?”  
“Do you really need to hear it? You just said yourself that he caught you killing Pete. You were careless.”  
“I was in a blind rage.”  
“He had to teach you how to do reconnaissance, how to scope out a scene for a murder or kidnap. You didn’t know any of that.” She continued, twirling a piece of his hair.  
“Ah, well, clever guy, Ray.” Gerard smiled, softening his eyes as he looked up at her. “There’s one thing he could have spent more time on though?” He added softly as she drew nearer.  
“And what would that be?”  
“Well, perhaps he should have been teaching you more about risk instead of fucking you.”  
   
He replied, smiling seductively and getting amused as Melanie pouted at him.  
   
“Oh? And why might that be, Gee?”  
   
Smirking conspiratorially, he jerked his head back, encouraging her to lean in so he could whisper. Obligingly, Melanie leaned in, teasingly, enjoying the quiver of his lip as hers almost brushed against them. Gerard swung his head forward in a vicious head butt, connecting violently with Melanie’s forehead and nose. Immediately, her eyes rolled back and she fell backwards, her knife clattering to the floor.  
   
“I think you answered your own question, sweetheart.”  
   
Gerard scoffed, ignoring the pain shooting across his eyes from the bruises forming across them.  
   
“Frankie, can you reach the knife? Be careful, the blade is really sharp.”

Frank shuffled and dragged himself across the floor as quickly as he could despite what he suspected were cracked ribs and carefully moved the knife up to his hands.

“Good Frankie, good. Now bring it over here, quickly. Don’t want the little bitch waking up before we’re ready now do we?”  
“Gee… what are you gonna do with her?”  
   
Gerard ignored Mikey’s question as he carefully angled the knife, that Frank had passed to him, to cut the rope tying his hands together. Grimacing as he first cut his thumb, he edged the blade lower and found the rope - he had never in his life been so grateful that Melanie preferred rope over chains or handcuffs. Once he had his hands free, Gerard cut the ropes to release Frank from their painful grip and pulled him into his arms, kissing him passionately and carefully, trying not to hurt him.

“You’re gonna be okay, Frankie. She can’t hurt you now.” Frank squeezed Gerard tighter, wincing but keeping his sounds of pain firmly behind his teeth. “I thought she was going to kill you, both of you.”  
   
Gently, Gerard pulled Frank up from the floor and eased him into the chair he was previously tied to before lowering Mikey’s hands down so he could untie him.

“I’m so sorry, Mikey. So sorry. You alright?”  
“Frankie.” Mikey stumbled to Frank’s side and puts his cuffed wrists around his neck, hugging him tightly and breathing in the familiar scent of his best friend.  
“I got you, Mikey. You’re okay.” Frank whispered back.  
“Frankie.” Mikey repeated, pressing a quick kiss to Frank’s lips and Frank smiled, hugging the younger tightly.  
“Gimme your hands Mikey, I need to get those cuffs off you.” Gerard encouraged.

Mikey reluctantly eased himself away from Frank and offered his hands to Gerard, rubbing the red circles around his wrists once the cuffs were off.  
   
Melanie groaned and the three turned to look at her, rising and forming a loose circle around the semi-conscious woman. Melanie’s eyes fluttered open and she grimaced at the pain in her forehead and the wave of nausea, swallowing harshly when she realised she was surrounded. Surrounded by two pissed off and angry looking Ways, and a somewhat conflicted looking Iero.

“What should we do with the bitch? I think we should tie her up.”

Melanie yelped as Mikey found strength in his anger to drag her to her feet by her hair and held her wrists tightly behind her back. Melanie looked at Gerard, her eyes wide and frantic and she pulled against the strong grip Mikey had on her to no avail.

“Gee… baby… please. You… you don’t want to hurt me. Take your brother and Frank and go. I… I won’t stop you. I don’t even care.”

She whimpered as Gerard raised his arm as if he was going to backhand her. Gerard ignored her begging and looked proudly at Mikey.

“Yeah, tie her up.” Gerard smiled, a sickly cruel smile. “Something like how she had Frankie tied, then we’ll attach her wrists to the pulley.”  
“Gee…?” Frank spoke softly, unsure how his words would be received. “Won’t that dislocate her shoulders?”

Gerard’s smile widened as he turned to look at Melanie’s terrified expression.

“Well yes, I imagine it will.” He raised his eyebrows. “I want Ray down here. I want him to see, amongst other things.”  
“No!” Melanie cried in panic. “I’ll warn him, you won’t…”

Gerard gripped Melanie’s throat with one hand, dragging her toward the chair and with the other snatched up the pile of ropes that had held Frank firmly only minutes earlier, pushing them into Mikey’s hands.

“No,” he shook his head slowly as he pulled his knife from it’s sheath and placed the cold blade against her cheek, with the point plucking at her lower eyelid. “No babe, you’ll be too busy screaming to warn anyone.”  
   
Gerard kept his hand around Melanie’s throat to keep her still, while Mikey tied her hands behind her back. Occasionally Gerard squeezed painfully, grinning as he did, his eyes fixed in an unnerving thousand yard stare.

“Gee…” Melanie started, cut off when Gerard slapped her hard across the face. Mikey smirked as he tied the rope tight enough that it cut into the fragile skin around Melanie’s wrists. “…please.”  
“Please what sweetie? You’re not going to be able to talk yourself out of this. That would require me giving a damn about you, and I don’t. You’re _nothing_ to me.”  
“I…I’m not afraid of you, Gee.” Melanie said shakily but she lacked conviction and Gerard knew it. He laughed, a slow condescending laugh and Melanie squirmed in Mikey’s grip.

“I finally figured out who had all the power in our relationship, Melanie.”  
“We never had a relationship, Gee.”  
“We had one of sorts, and I had all the power.”  
“You!” She scoffed. “The things I did to you and you think you had any power?”  
“Yes, of course.”

Gerard put his arm around Frank and took a step closer, but not close enough that she could reach him. He wasn’t about to fall for his own trick.

“I wanted you to do those things and I let you do them. If I hadn’t let you, you couldn’t have done a thing to me. Like now, for instance, you have no power over me, you can’t do a thing to me. Oh, but I can hurt you and babe,” he paused, turning to kiss Frank before looking back grinning broadly, “you are afraid.”

   
“Frankie…please…you don’t want them to hurt me, do you? There’ll be blood on your hands too if you just stand here and let them do this.”  
“Shut your mouth, Melanie. You don’t get to talk to him.” Mikey spat, moving closer and briefly pulling her head back by her hair.  
“You know, I never realised how much of a manipulative little bitch you actually are.” Gerard snapped, as Mikey landed a back handed blow across her cheek.  
“Mikey!” Frank cried automatically.

Melanie turned her head back, licking the blood from the corner of her mouth and smiled briefly at Gerard at Frank’s response.  
   
“You have to stop thinking of Melanie as a blushing flower, Frankie. This little psycho bitch deserves everything she gets, and then some. You have to trust me when I say we’ll be okay. Ray will do whatever he can to protect her, and we have her. We’re the ones with all the power here.”  
   
“I don’t think she’s a blushing flower!” Frank snapped. “I can see what she’s really like… and I have the bruises to prove it! But I just… should we… I mean… I don’t know what I mean.” He frowned. “Can’t we just call the police?”  
“And get Gee arrested?” Mikey cut in. “Is that what you want?”  
“No!” Frank pushed his hand through his hair. He didn’t want to kill anyone, but he felt he was being pushed by two people he loved to do just that.  
   
“We’re not going to kill her, if that’s what you’re worried about. Death would be too easy for her. She deserves to suffer, and to continue to do so for a very long time.”  
“Um, okay, yeah. I was worried about that.” Frank admitted.  
“I wanna kill her.” Mikey chimed in, to Frank’s distress.  
“No, trust me on this.” Gerard grinned manically, turning back to look at Melanie. “We have much more entertaining options available to us.”  
   
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovely readers! We hope you enjoyed this chapter. One more left, we think! :P
> 
> While you're here, why not check out the latest chapters of The Collector by SaskiaK in which Party realises he's not ten and Fucking Mikey Way by BrokenChemicalHeart where Mikey and Veronica's relationship begins to suffer (with possible triggers)
> 
> Take care xx


	11. Vampire Money

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard has regained control, but can he get Mikey and Frank out safely or will Ray and Melanie win out in the end?

“So what now, Gee? What are you gonna do?”

Gerard pulled the knife out again and held it over Melanie’s lips and she squeaked but stopped talking.

“Shut up. I really don’t want to gag you, as you’re fond of saying, it’s not as much fun hearing you scream with a gag in your mouth, is it?”

Melanie nodded, pulling a face when she cut her lip with the knife, flicking her tongue over it when Gerard pulled the knife away.

“Mikey, can you pass me the handcuffs please?”

Mikey handed did as he was asked and Gerard happily accepted them, returning his knife to its sheath in the process. With only a moment’s thought, he fastened one end of the handcuffs around the ropes tying Melanie’s wrists, and the other end to the suspension point that Mikey had been secured to only a short while earlier.

“Watch her for a second, will you? She tries anything… well… use your imagination.”

“I’ll muddle through… or something.”

Giving Mikey what he hoped was a reassuring shoulder squeeze, Gerard looked around for the remote control that operated the mechanism to lift Melanie’s hands above her head. Finally seeing it lying on the table, he moved quickly, pressing the button enthusiastically and watching as it lifted her so her toes were just barely touching the ground. Satisfied that she was suffering an appropriate amount of discomfort, Gerard smiled and nodded to himself before pocketing the remote.

“Gee… can’t we just go?” Frank’s voice was almost apologetic. “Please? I don’t want to be here. What if Ray comes?”

Gerard took Frank’s shaking hands in his own and kissed him on the cheek.

“You don’t have to be scared Frankie, I won’t let him get anywhere near you. Trust me, when Ray does come, the only thing he’s going to be concerned about is his whore.”  
“You mean you want him to come?” Frank appeared suddenly even more nervous.  
“I do, Frankie,” Gerard nodded solemnly. “We have to deal with both of them. You do see that, don’t you?”

Frank didn’t look entirely convinced, but he nodded anyway.

“Okay Gee… I… I trust you.”

“You’ll see, don’t worry. Stay close behind me okay? Need to keep you where I can see you. I won’t let him lay a finger on you. They’ll never hurt you again.”

Frank followed closely behind Gerard, but just out of Melanie’s line of sight. Not that she could see him with her eyes closed anyway. Melanie writhed against the grip Mikey had on her throat and the hand he clamped over her mouth and nose.

“Having fun, Mikes?”

Gerard asked and he looked over his shoulder and shrugged.

“She moved. You told me to use my imagination…” he replied with a small smirk, as if unsure how Gerard would react.  
“You’re doing good, Mikes,” Gerard smiled approvingly.  
Mikey took his hand away from Melanie’s mouth long enough for her to cough a few times an take a deep breath before clamping his hand down again.

“So,” he began again, reassured by Gerard’s response, “I figured I’d show her what it’s like to feel completely helpless and afraid.”

Gerard beamed with pride at his little brother and whispered in his ear and he could see that Melanie was curious what he was saying, but he deliberately kept his voice low so she couldn’t hear.

“Mel’s always had sensitive fingers. Bet you could make her scream if you did something to them. Don’t break any though okay? I wanna do that part.”

“You don’t happen to have a lighter, do you Gee?”

When Mikey pulled his hand away this time, after coughing almost uncontrollably, Melanie laughed nervously.

“Go on, little Way, hit me with your best shot!”

Gerard handed Mikey his lighter and delighted in the way Melanie’s breathing quickened. He couldn’t help but smile as he noted that she was a lot paler than she had been only a few seconds ago.

“You’re pretty when you’re scared.” He told her thoughtfully and Melanie scoffed.  
“How would you know what I look like when I’m scared, Gerard?”

Melanie sounded bold, but Gerard knew that it was all a front.

“I’m observant, babe. I can see the way you’re trembling. I can see the fear in your eyes, and we can all hear the shake in your voice. It’s the fear of the unknown that scares you the most, you don’t like not knowing what we’re going to do next. Speaking of, go on Mikey, show us what you’ve got.”

Mikey grinned and flipped open the zippo lighter, holding it close enough to Melanie’s face that she could feel the heat, but not close enough that it’d burn her.

“Tell me something, Melanie, do you know how to get rid of someone’s fingerprints?”

Melanie shrugged and Gerard watched as she instinctively clenched her fists so that Mikey couldn’t get to her fingers.

“Same rule applies as before, Mikey. She moves, get creative. I’ll be right back.” Gerard kissed Frank on the cheek and squeezed his shoulder as he walked past. “Stay with Mikey, okay? I’m locking you guys in while I’m gone but I won’t be long.”

Frank appeared alarmed at the announcement but said nothing; he had to trust Gerard. He just hoped his trust wasn’t misplaced. Once Gerard left, Frank took a few steps closer to Mikey but still kept his eyes lowered. He wasn’t entirely certain whether he didn’t want to look at Melanie for what she had done to him, or what Mikey was contemplating doing in revenge.

“You want to know what fear looks like, Baby Cakes? Look at your little fuck-buddy. Poor Frankie, looks like he’s gonna wet himself.”

Mikey ignored Melanie’s taunting and heated up the blade of the knife with the zippo and placed it at the inside of Melanie’s elbow and made a cut a few centimetres long.

“That the best you got? You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that to make me scream.”“I wasn’t trying to hurt you, that was more so to annoy you.”

Frank spun around in shock as the dungeon door opened once more, but was relieved to see Gerard returning, smiling and with his hands behind his back, hiding something from the three of them. Noticing the brief flash of fear on Frank’s face, Gerard pulled him into his arms and kissed him sweetly to calm him down.

“You’re okay, Frankie. It’s just me. We’ll be out of here before you know it, I promise.”

“You really should stop making promises you can’t keep, Gee.”

All three men turned their eyes on Melanie, her lips twisted into an intrigued smirk.  
“Nobody asked you for your opinion, Melanie. Shut up.”  
“Why? Because I’m right? Ray isn’t going to let you just walk out of here, you know this. Contrary to all the evidence, you aren’t stupid.”

Gerard laughed and walked back over to Melanie and grabbed one of her wrists, squeezing it tightly until she flinched and opened her hand. Once it was open, Gerard swiftly placed the razor blade he had brought back with him in the palm of her hand with a twisted smile.

“I’m betting that you don’t realise just how much Ray loves you, sweetheart. I’m sure he’ll do _anything_ to make sure his precious little girlfriend is okay, much like I’d do anything to make sure Frankie and Mikey are okay.”

Gerard closed Melanie’s fingers into a fist and she yelped as the razor blade cut two deep gashes into her hand and Mikey smiled appreciatively over her shoulder.

“I see what you did there, Gee. I like the way you think. Can I get started now?” Mikey was practically bouncing on his toes with excitement.    
“Go for it Mikes, it’s not like she can drop the razor and get away from it, it’s stuck there with superglue. It won’t hold for long once it’s soaked in blood though.”

Melanie opened her hand with tears of pain pricking at her eyes and her mouth dropped open in horror at the realisation that Gerard was serious. The razor blade was stuck firmly into her palm and she whimpered when the skin tore further and the cuts were exposed to the air.

“Come on Frankie, you don’t need to see this. Why don’t you come and sit down with me for a bit, have some water?”

Putting his arm around Frank’s shoulders, Gerard led him over to the other side of the room and sat him down, getting him a bottle of water from the small fridge that Ray had in the dungeon for marathon torture sessions.

“Mikey… you don’t have to do this. I… I’m sorry for what I did to you.”  
Mikey scoffed and pressed the knife against Melanie’s throat and she shut up.  
“It’s a little too late for ‘I’m sorry’. Especially when you’re only saying it because you think it’ll mean I won’t hurt you.”

Mikey flicked the zippo open again and raised it up to Melanie’s right hand so the flame lapped at her fingers. She had a terrible choice - hold her fingers open to be burnt or move away from the flame by closing her fingers around the razor blade once more. Mikey watched as Melanie screwed up her face in pain and bit her lip, trying hard not to make the sounds he wanted.

“I told you little Way,” she finally gasped defiantly, “you’re gonna have to try a lot harder than that to make me scream.”

“I can be patient, you’ll scream. I promise.”

Raising the lighter once more Mikey held it closer to Melanie’s fingers and she shut her eyes tightly, a single tear rolling down her cheek when she opened them again. At the sight, Mikey smirked, and taking the lighter away once more, he closed Melanie’s fist again, pressing her fingers down against the double-edge of the razor blade. Sucking air in through her teeth, she refused to give him the pleasure of a scream.

“Hey Gee, come over here for a sec.”

Giving Frank a quick kiss and pulling him up to follow him over to Melanie, Gerard walked over to his brother, picking up the baseball bat on his way.

“Yes brother dear?” Gerard stood behind Melanie, gripping her hip with one hand and pressing the tip of the knife into the base of her spine with the other.  
“Look, she cries, no luck on the screaming so far though. I have something I want to try, but I don’t know if it’ll be effective in hurting her, or if it’ll just get her excited.”  
“What are you thinking, Mikey?”

Mel gasped as Gerard dug the knife a little deeper into her back, breaking the skin and he just shrugged when Mikey gave him a questioning eyebrow. Mikey tugged on his brother’s elbow until they were stood a little way away from Melanie and Gerard could see out of the corner of his eye that Melanie was pulling desperately on the rope around her wrists and he was satisfied when it didn’t budge.

“What’s up, Mikes? What are you thinking?” Gerard pressed gently, he knew that realistically they didn’t have much of a window before Ray came looking for Melanie.  
“When She and Ray were torturing me… they strapped a TENS unit to my chest, and, I kinda enjoyed it. I have a thing about electricity. Melanie said that it scared you though…”  
“Electricity doesn’t scare me.” Gerard cut in. “It freaks her out though.”

Mikey and Gerard wore the same pleased and excited smirk at the realisation and looked at Melanie, waiting until she noticed them. Melanie swallowed thickly when she noticed the predatory smiles she was receiving from Gerard and Mikey and whimpered at the sight.

“You know, you had a really great idea when you and Ray were torturing me.” Mikey started conversationally while Gerard retrieved the TENS unit.  
“I did. I had many great ideas when Ray and I were torturing you sweetheart, which one are you talking about though?”

Melanie asked, the contempt clear on her face, but there was still the shake to hear voice. Mikey didn’t answer and went over to the fridge that he saw Gerard take a water bottle out of and took his own, and headed back to Melanie, grinning.

“You thought I was too out of it to hear you and Ray discussing me enjoying the electro-play, didn’t you? Guess it’s too bad for you that I know exactly what you were planning.” Mikey whispered in Melanie’s ear and chuckled quietly at the little shudder his words produced. “You see, the thing about electricity is, unless you like it, like I do, this isn’t going to be enjoyable for you. When you’re wet however…” Mikey dumped almost the whole bottle of cold water on Melanie’s head and she shook her head to get the water out of her eyes. “…it’s excruciating. Perfect timing Gee, you want to do the honours?”

Gerard returned with the tens unit and smiled appreciatively at Mikey, and smirked at the unhappy, scared and wet Melanie.

“This brings back memories, doesn’t it, babe?” Gerard asked cheerily as he attached the TENS unit pads to Melanie’s chest, one in the middle of her sternum, and the other on her right breast. “The first time you woke up down here, you were soaking wet after I dumped a bucket of water over you because you were taking too long to wake up.”

Melanie bit her lip and darted her eyes over to look at Mikey anxiously over Gerard’s shoulder.

“Gee… baby… come on, please. Don’t… don’t do this. I’ll do anything I swear, just… please.”

Gerard laughed as Melanie begged and he pretended to think about not doing anything before handing the unit to Mikey.

“Not a chance Melanie, I…” Gee paused and smiled at Mikey. “…we want to hear you scream. Go on Mikey, you’re gonna enjoy this.”

Melanie pulled frantically on the handcuffs again but they didn’t budge and she whimpered at the pitifulness of her situation. Mikey switched the tens unit on at level 5 for three seconds just to get Melanie’s attention and she swore, biting her lip hard enough to make it bleed. Mikey reached out and pulled Melanie’s lip from between her teeth, smearing the blood across her bottom lip.

“That was just to get your attention. You ready to scream for us?”

Mikey didn’t pause to let Melanie answer before turning the dial swiftly to level 8 and delighting in Melanie’s screams as they filled the basement.

“Well done, Mikey,” Gerard grinned at his brother. “That should get his attention.”

Above them, they could hear the clatter of a door slamming and boots on the stone steps leading down to the basement. Gerard turned a careful eye to make sure both Mikey and Frank were out of harm’s way before pushing his jacket behind his knife’s sheath, exposing it and making it easier to draw. He was ready; more than ready.

*

Ray pushed the dungeon door hard, flinging it open in his rush to find out why Melanie had been screaming. In his mind, there was no reason for it unless something had gone very wrong. His worst fears were confirmed as he ran quickly through the open doorway and he pulled up sharply at the scene before him.

On the far side of the dungeon, in the exact position occupied only minutes earlier by Mikey, Melanie was suspended by her wrists. Her face was a little more swollen than it had been earlier, and across her eyes and nose she was showing signs of what would soon be an ugly set of bruises. He couldn’t help but notice that Melanie was dripping wet and had the TENS unit strapped to her chest, with Mikey holding onto the control.

Alongside her, holding the baseball bat with the tip resting casually on his shoulder, stood Gerard grinning, his eyes wide and round. Ray glared at Gerard, who knew full well that Melanie was terrified of electricity, only okay with it when she wasn't directly involved.

“So glad you could join us.” With dramatic flourish, Gerard ripped the pads and wires from Melanie’s chest as he waved for Ray to fully enter the room. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind popping your wrists into those chains over there.”

Ray’s eyes scanned the room, frustrated to see that all possible weapons, that might normally have been within easy reach, had been moved and with them, also far out of reach, stood Mikey and Frank.

“Okay, Gee,” Ray took a few tentative steps into the room. “I see you’ve managed to get free.”  
“You always were the observant one,” Gerard replied, his face suddenly a mask of steely-eyed concentration.  
“So,” Ray took a couple more steps into the room, his hands hovering at waist height so Gerard could easily see them. “What happens now, Gee? You want to leave? I can’t let you do that. You know that, don’t you?”  
“You’re not calling the shots here any more, Ray,” Gerard replied, stoney-faced.  
“How about...”  
“You’re not listening, are you?” Gerard continued. “You don’t get to decide anymore.”  
“Look, Gee, we never wanted to kill you. Just these two, we can still do that.” Ray smiled as he took two more steps into the dungeon.  
“Gee?” Mikey warned, concerned at how close Ray had been able to approach.

Gerard moved the bat from his shoulder and let the end fall into his other hand, tapping it against his palm a couple of times, as if in contemplation.

“You come any closer?” Gerard raised the bat and held it poised, ready to hit Melanie in the stomach. “I take it out on Melanie.”

Ray laughed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, missing the fear that flashed across Melanie’s face.

“You haven’t got it in you to hurt her, Gee.”

"Let me see," Gerard mused. "After how the pair of you made a fool of me and what you've done to Mikey and Frankie? You really don't think I've got it in me?"  
"No, I don't," Ray scowled and in response Gerard briefly flashed a broad, almost maniacal grin at Melanie. “In fact...” Ray continued but was interrupted.  
"Ray, no!" Melanie gasped out.

Gerard laughed, a low pitiless chuckle as he noticed Ray's expression change at the panic in her voice. Turning sharply, Gerard swung the bat and grinned mercilessly at the sickening crack as the bat connected with Melanie's left arm. Screaming as the bone split, Melanie sagged, now hanging by just her right arm. Rushing forward to her aid, Ray pulled up short as Gerard lifted the bat again as if to take a swing at her right arm.

"Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn't if I were you!" Gerard tormented him with a playful smirk. "Belleville Butcher, right here," he indicated to himself. "Cold. Blooded. Killer.” He sneered. “Did you somehow forget?"

Ray’s expression was torn between horror at the agony so clearly on display on Melanie’s face and her pained whimpering and fury at Gerard for inflicting such damage. Only now did he realise that they had pushed Gerard too far and they were both going to pay for it.

“Now then, Ray, what I want you to do is to go over to those chains hanging just over there and lock yourself into them.”  
“And if I don’t, you’ll break Mel’s other arm? Is that it?” Ray snorted with distaste.  
“No,” Gerard sneered, his eyes wide and staring. “You know my opinion of people who cheat, lie and betray and how I deal with them. That’s how I got the name, Belleville Butcher and yet somehow you seem determined to underestimate me. Do you want me to kill her? Because that’s what I’ll do, Ray. The next blow from this bat won’t be her arm. No, it’ll be her skull! And I’ll keep battering away until it’s just a bag of mush and bone fragments! Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” Gerard’s voice rose in pitch and volume until he was screaming. “Well? Do you?”

On receiving no immediate reply, Gerard lifted the bat over his head and was already on the downward swing. Melanie was screaming again, loud enough to drown out the sound of Frank’s gasp and Mikey’s delighted giggle.

“No!” Ray shouted loudly, physically stopping himself from racing forward - there was nothing more likely to force Gerard into completing the blow than a perceived attack.

Stopping short of making contact, Gerard turned and smiled over his shoulder at Ray.

“Was that a ‘no’?” He asked sweetly.  
“That was a no,” Ray confirmed carefully as he headed back toward the chains and locked them around his wrists.  
“Good,” Gerard chuckled as he lifted Melanie’s chin. “You see, he can be reasonable.”  
“What now?” Melanie whispered.

Frank stepped forward, placing a hand gently on Gerard’s arm; still somewhat unnerved by what he had witnessed.

“We leave?” He asked quietly.  
“No!” Mikey interrupted. “I wanna hurt them!”  
"Hmm, what will hurt them the most?" Gerard pondered out loud, tapping his lips with a finger and either ignoring or simply not noticing Frank’s distress.  
"Any of the things they did to me, for starters!" Mikey snapped bitterly.  
"No, Mikey, there's something you need to know about making people suffer. Physical pain isn't always the worst thing. Believe it or not, some people feel emotional pain, and you know, I do believe we have at least one of those right here."  
"Everyone feels emotional pain, you freak! It's just you that doesn't!" Ray yelled.  
"So angry," Gerard spoke calmly as he shook his head. "And with so little reason... yet.”  
“I’ve got plenty of reasons to be angry with you, Gee!” Ray snarled, narrowing his eyes with contempt.  
“Really? Name one that isn’t a direct result of my overdue and entirely justified revenge on you both.”

Frank exhaled slowly and, leaning back against the wall, he folded his arms, crossed his right leg over his left and lowered his eyes. Gerard walked slowly over to where Ray was now chained with his arms hanging at shoulder height. Taking the small remote from his pocket, he pressed a button and watched as Ray’s arms were pulled upwards until they were straight. Not enough to take his feet from the floor but enough to be an uncomfortable stretch. Drawing his knife from its sheath, he stood behind Ray and placed the blade against his throat, forcing him to tip his head back to avoid the razor sharp edge slicing into him.

“You know what, Ray,” he whispered. “It would be oh so easy to just pull back right now and that would be it for you.”  
“You won’t do it?” Ray replied with certainty in his voice.  
"Oh? And why is that?”  
“Because of Frank. You won’t kill me, because he doesn’t want you to. All you’ve done is swap one Dom for another. He controls you now. Don’t you see that?”  
“Well, I know you’ve never understood, but I think it’s pretty well established that I like that and yes, I’d do anything for him. On the other hand, what if you were to struggle? In your panic you press against the knife? What a terrible _accident_ that would be!”  
“And why would I struggle?” Ray scoffed. “I know what would happen.”  
“Yes, but I have Melanie’s taser in my pocket and if I use that on you, I’m sure I can make it look like a struggle. He’s not even looking,” Gerard chuckled softly. “I can kill you right in front of him and he’d never know. It’s tempting just to see if I can. And, oh, how Melanie would scream. It’d be music to my ears!”  
“You’re insane, you know that?” Ray’s voice was filled with anger, but with more than a hint of nervousness.  
“I’m not sure if insane is the right word, you know?” Gerard chuckled lightly. “I just know what I want and don’t see anything wrong with getting it.”  
“Get on with it, then,” Ray replied, trying hard to sound angry instead of nervous.  
“I’m not going to kill you, Ray,” Gerard finally admitted. “Call me sentimental if you like, but we had some great times together, you and me, despite the fact the pair of you were lying to my face the whole time. Besides, you could have killed me or turned me in when you caught me killing Pete but you didn’t. You always insisted that I owed you for that. Well, consider the debt repaid.”  
“Repaid?” Ray snapped. “Leaving us chained up down here to die slowly? That’s repayment, is it?”  
“That would be what you deserve, Ray,” Gerard growled, tilting the blade a little more so that it pressed harder against Ray’s throat, drawing a small amount of blood in the process. “What you both deserve, but no, I’m going to leave the key with Melanie.”

Gerard laughed slyly, as if a thought had just occurred to him, one that he had not shared with Ray. It was an unnerving sound and Ray had the distinct impression that it was not going to be that simple.

Lowering the knife and snatching a length of rope from a nearby shelf, Gerard crouched and pulled Ray’s ankles together. Winding the rope tightly around them, before giving an extra tug on the ends, Gerard continued to tighten them until he heard a slight huffing sound from Ray as his bones ground together. Satisfied, he tied a double knot before rising once more.

“Now then,” Gerard stood up; happy with the rope binding Ray’s ankles. Once again, he checked the chains pulling Ray’s wrists high over his head. With a satisfied nod and a broad smile designed purely to irritate Ray, he continued. “Yep, that’s you all fastened up and might I say, you don’t look at all happy about it.”  
“I’m going to kill you, Gee, I just want you to know that. I am going to kill you,” Ray spoke slowly in his most threatening tone, his eyes narrowed and piercing.  
“Yeah,” Gerard patted his cheek and laughed scornfully. “I know that’s what you think’s going to happen.”

Frank frowned nervously; he recalled saying very similar words to Melanie, just before she managed to make good on her threat.

“Recognise those words do you, Frank?” Ray smirked. “Mel told me, you said the exact same thing to her. You know what happened then, don’t you?”

Gerard turned to look between Melanie and Ray before turning to Frank; he was pale.

“What is this?” He asked, cupping Frank’s cheek gently.  
“It’s nothing,” he took a step back and shook his head, looking down.  
“Doesn’t sound like nothing,” Gerard stepped forward to close the gap once more and took Frank’s hands in his. “Talk to me, Frankie.”

Unable to raise his eyes, Frank merely shrugged and shook his head. In response, Gerard stooped and tried to make eye contact, pulling him close into a gentle embrace when it proved impossible.

“He’s upset because it was one of the last things he said to Mel before she beat the crap out of him, tied him up and brought him here,” Ray laughed.

Gerard drew his lips into a thin line and his expression hardened as Frank choked back a small, almost inaudible sob.

“I see.” Gerard pursed his lips. “It’s okay, Frankie,” he whispered in his ear. “She’s going to pay for what she did to you, I promise.”  
“Gee, I just want us all to leave. I thought I was safe then but I wasn’t. I... I don’t want the same thing to happen now.”

Gerard nodded as he leaned back slightly from the embrace and tried to offer his best reassuring smile.

“Frank, there’s nothing they can do to you now,” Gerard spoke earnestly.  
“That’s what I thought before, but that changed, didn’t it?” Frank explained his fear.  
“Could easily change again, Frankie,” Ray taunted, determined not to allow Frank’s mind to settle.

Gerard sighed heavily as Frank stiffened in his arms.

“No, Ray,” he growled as he released Frank and took a few steps towards his former partner. “It’s not going to change, because I’m not stupidly overconfident and because all I had to do was overpower you. There are three of us.”  
“Two and a half,” he corrected with a sneer.

The explosion of pain in her jaw almost overwhelmed her as Gerard ran back to Melanie’s side and his fist collided sharply against her cheek. Only the handcuffs hanging from the suspension point held her upright. Behind Gerard, if either Frank or Mikey had said anything at all, it was drowned out by Ray screaming obscenities. Staring coldly at her as she turned pained and tear-filled eyes towards him, Gerard shook his head slowly, his expression one of deep anger and contempt.

“What did I tell you I would do, Ray?” Gerard asked quietly. “Since when have you ever known me to bluff?”

Turning his attention back to Melanie, Gerard chuckled.

“Looks like you made a poor choice with him, babe, if this is how he proves he loves you. I wonder? Just how much more can you take?”  
“All right!” Ray yelled furiously. “I believe you! Just leave her alone! It’s me that’s done all this, it’s me you want to hurt.”

Gerard’s laughter emerged as a demented cackle as he turned to stare in disbelief at Ray.

“No, that’s what _you_ want,” he finally managed, calming his laughter to a light chuckle.  
“I’m not like you, I don’t get off on pain,” Ray sneered.  
“I didn’t mean that,” Gerard raised an eyebrow. “You want me to hurt you to protect her. Now why would I give you what you want? Hmm?” Gerard grinned. “Besides, I _am_ hurting you, aren’t I?”

Turning sharply, Gerard landed a heavy punch into Melanie’s abdomen and watched, laughing, as she bent over as far as the chains would allow, gasping for breath, coughing and crying. As Ray screamed his fury in a stream of violent threats, Gerard leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

“That’s where I’m going to stab you.”

Standing upright once more, Gerard turned to see a look of horror mixed with distress on Frank’s face. Gerard’s smile faded; had he upset Frank somehow? Walking over to him, Gerard took his hands gently.

“Frankie, are you okay?”  
“I don’t know how to say this any other way to make you really hear me, Gee, but I want to leave. Please!” Frank begged, his plea heartfelt and clearly still scared.  
“I’m sorry, Frankie,” Gerard lowered his eyes. “I’ve been selfish. Of course we can leave. Just one last thing.”

Frank sighed heavily and his shoulders sagged visibly at the words.

“No, Frankie, this is for you.” Gerard reassured him.

Leading him by the hand until they both stood in front of Melanie, Gerard tapped the hilt of his now sheathed knife meaningfully, ensuring that only Melanie saw it.

“Melanie, I want you to apologise to Frankie for what you did to him.”  
“No!” Ray yelled. “Don’t give the runt the satisfaction.”  
“And I want you to mean it,” Gerard continued, ignoring Ray.  
“I...” Melanie began, staring in disbelief at Gerard. Could he really mean it? Did he believe it mattered or was it just a show for Ray’s benefit?  
“Mel, don’t!” Ray yelled, oblivious to Gerard’s threat.

Gerard smirked and once again tapped his knife again.

“We’re waiting,” he prompted.  
“I... I’m sorry Frank, for everything I did to you. I’m really sorry,” her voice cracked as she finished, tears falling from her eyes, not from sorrow but from humiliation.

Gerard smiled again; he knew what they were. Frank just felt numb. The sensation unnerved him and he hoped it was simply shock and the need to leave. Escape.

“Good, now come on you two, come upstairs with me while I grab some stuff. It's not like these two are going anywhere any time soon.”

Frank immediately nodded, finding a smile emerging on his relieved face, but Mikey stayed standing close to Melanie and shook his head.

“I don't think it's wise to leave these two alone together, Gee. They'll try to escape.”  
“I’m not staying here!” Frank snapped. “I want to go! Now!”

To have leaving presented to him and possibly snatched away in the space of a few seconds was too much for Frank to bear. So far he had pleaded quietly, but now he demanded. He simply couldn’t face another second in the dungeon.

“Gee, you can stay if you want but I’m going, I can’t stay here! I can’t!”

Gerard pulled him close and stroked his hair. He pulled in a deep breath as he felt the sudden dampness on his shirt of Frank’s terrified tears and he could feel him beginning to hyperventilate.

“Shh,” he cooed softly, rubbing Frank’s back gently. “It’s okay, Frankie, we’ll go upstairs. You can help me pack. Mikey can watch them. Can’t you Mikes?” He added looked over Frank’s shoulder.  
“My pleasure!” Mikey called. “Take your time,” he grinned. “Make out, if you want, I’m in no rush.”

Gerard smiled proudly; Mikey had a certain look in his eyes, one that he recognised. He’d seen it in the mirror on many occasions. Despite his injuries Mikey was more than capable of handling them while he packed. Who knows, he might even enjoy it. He nodded knowingly before leading Frank to the door.

“One second,” he squeezed Frank’s hand before running back to whisper in his brother’s ear. “Have fun, Mikes but don’t kill them and don’t stab her, that’s my job.”  
“Sure, Gee,” Mikey nodded as Gerard ran back to Frank’s side.  
“Let’s go.”

Mikey watched as Gerard and Frank left the dungeon, closing the door behind them. His grin widened as he looked at Melanie and Ray in turn.

“Well now,” he sneered, “I’ve been left with a very wide brief. What to do? What to do?”

*

As Frank climbed the stairs from the dungeon, he expected to be overwhelmed with relief but instead he grew increasingly concerned. Concerned about leaving Mikey with two very violent individuals, certainly but he was unnerved to realise that his greater concern was what Mikey would do in their absence. Mikey had been a happy-go-lucky individual, working in a coffee shop to make his way through college, always quick with a smile. If there was ever a personification of innocence, it was Mikey. They had destroyed that. He even had to accept that Gerard had been a part of that and it hurt him to admit it. He had learned so much about Gerard in the last hour and he had seriously conflicted feelings. Added to that, the very distinct feeling that his innocent friend was lost forever and he seemed to be developing his brother’s violent tendencies, Frank was worried about what he was getting himself into. Despite this, following Gerard up the stairs to his bedroom, he began to feel more settled, more at ease. With it, he began to feel more himself and less like the terrified young man that, Melanie and Ray in particular, inspired in him.

“You’re very quiet,” Gerard commented as they reached the door to his bedroom.

His words were almost spoken as a question, encouraging Frank to explain. He pursed his lips as he thought about Gerard’s words.

“Yeah,” he began as Gerard opened the door to his room.

Stepping inside, he took in what he realised was an unexpected sight. The man with messy hair, his head filled with chaos, was apparently almost obsessionally tidy. Everything in the room appeared to have been very deliberately and precisely placed and was meticulously clean. He was immediately struck by the thought that if every item was removed from the room, that Gerard would be able to return everything to its proper place without a moment’s consideration.

“What’s on your mind?”

Frank looked up to see that Gerard was facing him, his face paler than usual, with a pained look in his eyes. It troubled him to see it and without a moment’s hesitation, Frank closed the gap between them and kissed him gently, tenderly, yet passionately on the lips. Gerard took a deep breath, inhaling Frank’s scent and melting into the kiss, wrapping his arms around him as he did. He felt his body tingle with excitement then ache with longing as Frank slowly pulled away.

“Well, you can think about that more often,” he offered a playful grin.  
“I’m worried, Gee,” Frank admitted to Gerard’s surprise. “About Mikey.”  
“Oh, he’ll be fine,” Gerard replied, cupping Frank’s cheek gently. “They’re all locked up, they can’t do anything.”  
“I don’t mean that,” Frank sighed. “I mean he’s changed. He’s...” Frank looked down, unwilling to say the words.  
“He’s more like me, now?”

Gerard stated the fact, almost without emotion, certainly without judgement. Frank looked into his eyes once more, afraid of how Gerard would react to his quiet nod.

“Are you having second thoughts?” Gerard asked, placing a bent finger under Frank’s chin to raise his once more lowered head.  
“Did that kiss feel like a brush off to you?”  
“No,” Gerard replied carefully. “But I’ve never had someone love me for me before.”

Frank closed his eyes as the words plucked at his heartstrings; there was so much he wanted to teach Gerard about love but...

“Gee, can you really change?”  
“I have! Frankie, there was a time, I... I would have just killed them for what they’d done to me, let alone you.”  
“You’re not going to kill them?” Frank asked tentatively.  
“I swear, I’m going to give Melanie the key. She’s pretty messed up, we’ll have a big head start. We’ll have plenty of time to get away before they get free.”  
“But they can still find us, they know where I live!”  
“No,” Gerard shook his head firmly. “I’ve got stuff on them, they have on me and we’ve hurt each other. That’s it. They won’t come near you, Frankie, I promise.”  
“But...”  
“I promise,” he replied, caressing Frank’s cheek soothingly. “Now, come on, help me pack. I know how much you want to leave and I don’t have many things.”

Gerard pulled a suitcase down from on top of the wardrobe and a smaller case from alongside before opening the first one on the bed.

“Do you want me to pack the other one, while you do this one?” Frank offered.

Gerard looked from the smaller suitcase to Frank and appeared momentarily bewildered.

“That one’s already packed,” he replied before flashing a bright smile at Frank. “You just sit somewhere, get comfy. I won’t be long.”

Frank nodded and perched on the edge of the bed as Gerard moved quickly around the bedroom hurling things into the case in a haphazard way, at odds with the carefully obsessive layout of the room. It seemed reasonable to him that Gerard would have something pre-packed. If he needed to leave in a desperate hurry, he would have some essentials already gathered. Even as he was thinking, out of the corner of his eye, Gerard was closing the larger of the two cases and pulling the zip around.

“That was quick,” Frank raised an eyebrow.  
“I told you, I don’t have much stuff.”  
“And you were partly packed already,” Frank added.  
“Yeah,” Gerard’s bright smile returned. “Okay, let’s go down there and collect Mikey and...”

Gerard’s sentence reached an abrupt stop at the sudden horror in Frank’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Gerard blurted and his brow furrowed at Frank’s distress. “Would you prefer to wait by the front door with the bags and I’ll fetch Mikey?”

Frank nodded. He felt a twinge of shame that his fear was able to overwhelm him so easily, but he was relieved that he hadn’t had to explain. He readily accepted the hug that Gerard pulled him into but missed the smirk that grew on the older man’s face at the thought of being alone in the dungeon with no need to moderate his behaviour. Gerard’s smirk reformed into a gentle smile as he pulled back and picked up the two cases.

“Come on, let’s go.”

It was mere moments before Gerard and Frank were standing in the hallway leading to the front door.

"I’ll just be a few minutes,” he nodded to confirm. “I’ll send Mikey up and you can both wait by the door. Okay?” He added, landing a sweet kiss to Frank’s cheek.

Frank took a deep breath and nodded. He was minutes away from leaving and every second that drew him closer to that moment seemed to lift the weight from his shoulders.

*

Opening the door to the dungeon, Gerard eyed the scene inside. At first glance it didn’t appear that much had changed except for the intensity of hatred etched into Ray’s face and the exhaustion and pain on Melanie’s.

“Had fun, Mikes?” Gerard called cheerfully.  
“You’re back quick,” Mikey raised his eyebrows.  
“I don’t have a lot of stuff and Frank really wants to leave. Are you okay to go upstairs and keep him company while I finish up down here?”  
“Okay, Gee,” Mikey nodded.  
“Are you okay, or do you need help with the stairs?”  
“I think I’m all right,” Mikey answered stoically.

Gerard smiled proudly as Mikey limped from the room and he heard him start to climb the stairs.

“I’ve changed my mind, Gee,” Ray snarled. “I’m going to kill you _all_.”  
“No, Ray, you’re not,” he began in a matter of fact tone. "And let me tell you why. You might not be aware of this, but I have a lot of friends and past acquaintances, mostly murderers. I will have them watching you both, very carefully, and if it looks like either one of you will even walk into the same store as any of us, they will kill you both without hesitation. I’ve amassed a lot of money over the last five years and I don’t see a better use for it than keeping you and your whore looking over your shoulders for the rest of your lives. If, of course, you get out of here.”  
“I thought you were giving us the keys? You’re gonna just leave us here now, is that it?”  
“I told you, Ray,” Gerard smiled broadly, with a glint in his eyes that suggested a level of mania. “I’m not going to kill you, but I’m not going to make it easy for you either.”  
“So, what _are_ you going to do?” Ray asked, narrowing his eyes.  
“I thought you’d never ask!” Gerard replied gleefully. “Why don't we play a game? Let's call it ' _What Won't Kill Her?_ '"  
“What!” Ray’s eyes widened in shock and he found himself pulling fruitlessly on the chains at his wrists.

Gerard withdrew his knife from its sheath and looked from Ray to Melanie and back. Turning the pristine knife in the dim light of the dungeon, admiring the tiny sparkles on the highly polished blade.

“Well,” Gerard grinned. “I’m going to give you three options and you’re going to pick one. Two will kill her, one won’t.”  
“No,” Ray shook his head defiantly, unnerved by Gerard’s _game_. “You know my knowledge of anatomy isn’t great. I don’t know what would and what wouldn’t. You can’t make me choose!”  
“If you don’t,” he smirked, “I’ll choose and I really don’t think you want me to choose, do you?”  
"You really want your little brother and your boyfriend to be accessories to murder, Gee? You really want that?"  
"Murder? No, but then, they’re not here, are they?" Gerard tipped his head and grinned at Ray.  
“Gee, just give her the damn key, or so help me, I’ll...” Ray bit his tongue, realising that threats were only going to make things worse for them.

Gerard paused for a few seconds before walking slowly over towards Melanie.

“Gee,” Ray began nervously. “What are you doing?”  
“He seems reluctant to choose,” Gerard explained to the now terrified Melanie, unable to tear her gaze away from his knife.  
“Gee?” Ray pressed, still doubting his intentions.  
“I guess you’ll just have to hope I choose the one that won’t kill you,” Gerard shrugged playfully. “What did I ask you before, Ray? Oh that’s right... when do I ever bluff?”  
“No!”

Ray screamed as Gerard turned on his heels and plunged the knife deep into her abdomen, chuckling as he withdrew it slowly. Watching as she sunk lower, deep in agony. The pain and shock refused to allow even a sound emerge from Melanie’s lips until the knife was withdrawn, when a still raging Ray heard whimpering and crying from the other side of the room.

"I hope I’ve made it plain to you two that you're to stay well away from us, or I will deal with you. And you do not want that. Trust me."

Gathering himself, knowing that he had to remain calm and not at all vengeful purely to stand a chance of staying alive, Ray reduced himself to begging.

"We'll do whatever you want, Gee. Let me take Mel to the hospital please. We won't come near you again. I swear on her life."  
"On her life?" Gerard laughed. "I guess that's to convince me that you're serious, not just because you're a coward!"  
"Gee, I’ve agreed," Ray begged. “We both do.”

Gerard nodded, taking a few moments to clean his knife before placing it back in the sheath and addressing the still conscious but failing Melanie.

“Okay, here’s your challenge. All you have to do is give this key to Ray. Sounds easy doesn’t it?”  
“Gee, you just stabbed her! There’s nothing easy about it!” Ray shouted, terrified for them both.  
“Well, it sounds easy to me,” Gerard beamed a slightly too wide smile. “So just to add an element of ‘C _an she do it?_ ’...”

Gerard grabbed Melanie’s hand and pressed the jade ring against her other hand, injecting whatever remained in the well of tranquilliser.

“No!” Ray screamed, pulling hard on the chains but to no avail.

Lowering the suspension point, allowing her to sink to the floor, Gerard crouched to unlock the handcuffs, leaving her hands tied together with one arm broken and bleeding heavily from the knife wound. Pressing the key into her razor blade sliced hand, Gerard closed her fingers, delighting in the additional pained cry she emitted as he rose to his feet once more.

“You forget, Ray, given that you know my opinion of liars and cheats, you’re both lucky to have this much of a chance. Call me sentimental, perhaps. Maybe I’m doing this for the years we spent together, maybe I’m doing it so I can honestly say to Frankie that I didn’t kill you or just maybe I’m doing it to laugh when I think about you both dying slowly down here without a soul to mourn you? I guess you’ll never know which. I don’t expect to see you again either way, but if I do, I will kill you, Ray. And you?” He turned to face Melanie. “If I see you again, I’ll do something special for you.”  
"I'm sorry Gee. I'm so sorry... for everything... I..." She began, her voice now slurring with tiredness and pain.  
"Baby... you're not sorry. Not yet, but you will be, one day."

Gerard walked slowly to Ray, infuriating him as valuable seconds ticked by.

“Anyway, I think that’s everything. Oh, almost!” Gerard swung a heavy punch into Ray’s abdomen before following through with another to his jaw, leaving him gasping for breath. “Well now, you both have things to do,” Gerard chuckled as he headed for the door, “so, I’ll just say so long and goodnight.”

As he closed the door, a laugh was once more on his lips as he heard Ray calling out in breathless agony.

“Mel? Mel! Are you awake? Melanie!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we hope you enjoyed our little tale. We certainly had a great time writing it! 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read, and/or left comments and kudos, we really appreciate you!
> 
> Thanks again,  
> Sas & BCH xx


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